Visitors to the Kerala Secretariat will now have to go through an IT-based help desk as part of increased security being enforced at the State headquarters.
Help centres have been set up at gates to the Secretariat near South Block and Cantonment Police Station. A help centre would also work at the nearby Secretariat annexe from November first week. Visitors to the Secretariat would get assistance and directions at the help centre.
Passes will be issued to those wishing to meet the Chief Minister, Ministers, Chief Secretary, Secretaries and other officials using the updated Secretariat Information System. Those arriving to file petitions alone could hand them over at the help centre. The help centre would register the petition, issue a reference number and forward them in real time to the department or official concerned. Petitioners could know the status of their petition using the number from the help desk or Internet kiosks.
Chief Secretary Neela Gangadharan said in a circular that the number issued from the help centre against each petition should be entered in the personal register of the Secretariat section concerned. She has also directed that written replies should be given to the petitioners from the sections concerned when final decisions are taken on their petitions.