Simplify procedures in govt offices in Punjab: Report

Chandigarh, Jul 8 (UNI) Punjab Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh today laid stress on providing a corruption-free governance to the people through greater accountability and better delivery of public services.

He stated that simplification of office procedures along with strengthening of infrastructure in government offices with greater public interface was high on the priority of the government.

The Chief Secretary expressed these views while going through a presentation made by Suresh Kumar, the Secretary Irrigation and Power and the Chairman of a working group set up by the State Government on BPR (Business Process Re-engineering).

The government had set up two working groups last year on BPR in government offices for improving access to language and higher education. These were based upon the deliberations held with a team of the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) led by Mr S Reghunathan, that had visited Punjab last September and interacted with the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary.

While presenting the report prepared by the working group on BPR, Mr Kumar stated that the team had analysed certain important functions with major citizen-interface in different departments and had suggested new, simplified procedures. The entire approach was based upon the cornerstone of reducing redundant hierarchies and empowering lower levels of administration through capacity building and use of technology.

The higher levels of decision-making must engage improved supervision, monitoring and devoting time to a more productive use, he stated. This could be achieved through codification of the existing processes and their dissemination to the common man.

The guiding principle was a better output for the government, reduction in processing time and higher satisfaction levels of the general public, Mr Kumar stated in his report.

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