Minister’s reluctance for online file disposal giving babus a free run?

Jaipur: The Medical and Health department is handling its work differently compared to other government departments. Instead of disposing of files online, they are being disposed of in hard copy format at the minister’s level. This allows officials in the department to influence the disposal of files according to their preferences. Even the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the department, Shubhra Singh, finds this system surprising. At the ACS level, all work is done online, but at the minister’s level, it is done on paper. Gajendra Singh Khimsar reportedly prefers paper files. This means that printouts of files are prepared before being presented to the minister, who then approves them or gives directions. After receiving directions, the files are made online again at the ACS’s office. This system benefits the officials in the Secretariat and the Department, as they have more control over the process. Some officials who were influential in the previous government and held important positions have returned to their old positions. The reliance on paper-based disposal instead of online disposal has put these officials in a comfortable position.