The termite infested dust laden huge bundles of annual reports and files, a common scene in government offices might soon be a thing of the past with Arunachal going paperless.

Attempting to go paperless and to boost e-Governance, the State Civil Secretariat plans to start the e-Office suite after which manual movement of files will cease. The main highlights of this application are that, all government files will be processed and decisions taken electronically by using digital signatures of all decision makers. File tracking system will ensure speedy decision making and transparency in decisions will be ensured.

A paperless office is a work environment in which the use of paper is eliminated or greatly reduced. This is done by converting documents and other papers into digital form. Proponents claim that "going paperless" can save money, boost productivity, save space, make documentation and information sharing easier, keep personal information more secure, and help the environment. The concept can be extended to communications outside the office as well. As opposed to traditional office, a paperless office could simply have a desk, chair, and computer (with a modest amount of local or network storage), and all of the information would be stored in digital form. 

However, for ‘e governance’ to take off smoothly and with efficacy there is a need to boost internet connectivity. Even within the capital complex, internet connectivity is erratic and there are numerous dead zones. The whole purpose of ‘e-governance’ is to improve the ease of governance and expediting the administrative process which is not possible without internet coverage. Then of course, there is the task of educating and upgrading the existing human resources, which not be short of humongous.

The transition from traditional governance to e-governance will not be easy for Arunachal. The challenge posed by the erratic internet connectivity aside, e-governance projects should be citizen centric and not technology centric. To improve citizen services, government also needs to collaborate with departments on information and data sharing.

That said, e-governance will enable citizens to have a better and friendly rapport with the government, thereby ensuring a hassle-free life. The transition of Arunachal into a digital world will have far reaching effects. We are at the threshold of creating history and the pitiable internet connectivity must not be a stumbling block.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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