Report calls for simplification of office work in Punjab

Chandigarh, Jul 9 (UNI) A working group set up by the Punjab Government on BPR (Business Process Re-engineering) has called for simplification of office procedures along with strengthening of infrastructure in government offices with greater public interface.

A report on the working procedures in government offices was submitted to the state Chief Secretary here yesterday. The report was prepared by Mr Suresh Kumar, Secretary Irrigation and Power who headed this group.

The government had set up two working groups last year on BPR in government offices and 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 in September last year.

Mr Suresh Kumar in his report stated that they 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 in improved supervision and monitoring and devote their time to more productive use, the report stated. This could be achieved through codification of existing processes and their dissemination to the common man.

According to the report the guiding principle was better output for the government, reduction in processing time and higher satisfaction levels of the general public.

The other working group on language and access to higher education emphasised that graduates with high proficiency in English and good communication skills should be inducted into teaching and the existing school staff should be retrained. The group suggested that SCERT must be strengthened and made a nodal agency for textbook development.

This group was headed by Ms Kusumjit Sidhu, Financial Commissioner Cooperation.

The group had examined the recommendations of the NKC on the teaching of English language in the state-run schools and at higher levels. The group had made certain concrete recommendations for the Departments of Schools and Higher Education, taking into account the constraints as well.

In her report, Ms Sidhu also suggested that the Department of School Education should consider introduction of a semester system so that there was no academic burden on the students at the fag end of the academic session.

UNI HS JS RL1611