The State government has asked its departments to reduce the number of officers who have to clear a particular proposal or file, in a bid to cut down red tape.
Only three officers will now scrutinise a proposal and pass it on to the Minister or topmost administrative officer of a department.
In August 2014, the General Administration Department had issued a Government Resolution (GR) citing rules designed in 2014 to avoid delay in implementing government duties.
The Finance Department on Wednesday reiterated the guidelines, as earlier attempts to simplify bureaucratic processes seem to have been futile. As per the new GR, a file originating from the desk officer will go to the joint secretary (or officer of similar rank) and then to the additional chief secretary’s office. “This will be a three-tier system and will be changed only in exceptional circumstances,” the GR says.
A government officer said on the condition of anonymity that though the guidelines had been laid down much earlier, they were hardly followed. “If more officers scrutinise a proposal, it lowers the possibility of any mistake in it,” the officer said. He said the delay is a result of scrutiny, which is required many a times.
The government claims to have achieved transparent and speedy governance since it assumed office. “A number of proposals undergo strict scrutiny from the Finance Department because of the large amounts of money involved. This could be an attempt to speed up expenditure on developmental works,” the officer said.
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