Four Chandigarh estate officials put on notice for not clearing files in stipulated time
Given two days to respond, face punishment ranging from suspension to dismissal
In a first, four officials in the UT estate office (EO) were served automatic show-causes notices on Monday for not dealing with files within the stipulated time.
Two officials each in the building branch and Group 2 branch of the estate office were put on notice for violating the deadline fixed for clearing files.
A sub-divisional officer (SDO), assistant controller (finance and administration), and two senior assistants have been asked to reply within two days as to why action should not be taken against them for causing delay in clearing files.
The building branch deals with building rules, plan approvals and violations. The Group 2 deals in the residential property transfer, etc.
In one case, the officials were mandated to clear a file of building plans by September 11, but didn’t; and in the second case a file regarding property transfer was to be cleared by September 12 but it wasn’t.
Automatic system
The estate office is known for long delays in clearing the files. Aiming to tackle the pendency, a new software developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) was put into use in July. The software aims to aid in timely disposal of files and monitor the work done by different branches of EO.
The system was introduced in pursuance of the Right to Service Act and citizen charter.
Assistant estate officer Manish Kumar Lohan said, “Under the new system, the officials of estate office are mandated to clear files within a stipulated time period.”
The deadlines for clearing files vary depending up on the work and the branch the file is being dealt for.
“In case an official doesn’t comply with the deadline, the system provides an immediate alert,” said Lohan. The first step is issuances of a show-cause notice seeking the reply of official as to why action should not be taken. The punishment can range from suspension to dismissal.
Also under the new system, a check list of documents for applicants has been fixed, which is to be provided with a file. The officials cannot accept a file if the checklist hasn’t been complied with.
“Earlier officials could delay clearing the files contending it was incomplete. People had to make repeated rounds of the estate office and submit these documents. Now, the officials don’t have this as an excuse to sit on files for long periods as they can’t accept incomplete documents,” said a senior estate office official requesting anonymity.
