Murad directs IT dept to work out plan to introduce e-office in govt depts

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the Information Technology Department to work out a plan to deploy an e-office application in the departments in different phases to increase efficiency, enhance transparency, cost-effectiveness, improved data security and better collaboration.

He issued these instructions while presiding over a meeting at the CM House on Monday. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, Secretary IT Noor Samoo, Secretary Service Ghulam Ali Brahmani and other officials.

The chief minister said that he wanted the government departments to adopt an electronic mode of filing and correspondence system in place of a manual filing system, built to perform the function and business assigned to it in the Sindh Government Rules of Business, 1986.

He said he has a plan to introduce a paperless system in government departments by introducing a digital system or e-office. In the first phase, the departments do their official work through a digital system and phase-wise connect other departments.

Secretary Information, Science and Technology Noor Samo told the CM that in the first phase deployment of the e-office application would be made in the IS&T Department, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Minorities Department, Social Welfare Department, Rehabilitation Department, Mines and Mineral Development Department, Inter-Provincial Coordination Department, College Education Department and STEVTA.

He told the CM that his department has started training the officers of the relevant departments to implement e-office in different departments. He said he would submit his proposal for implementation of the e-office system in the other departments in the second phase.

Chief Secretary Asif Haider Shah told the CM that an e-service has been developed in the office of Sukkur’s deputy commissioner. The assistant commissioner and Mukhtiarkars are connected to the e-services. Through the e-service, domiciles, heirship certificates, and revenue-related applications are submitted and disposed of digitally. Chief Secretary Shah said he was monitoring the success and effectiveness of the system. Once it is established the system would be replicated in other districts.