Biswa Bhusan Mohapatra
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: The state government in its bid to bring in transparency in administration and ensure good governance had introduced e-despatch (a web portal, wherein all administrative departments are required to upload daily letters, notifications and orders). But, a majority of departments is not updating the notifications and day-to-day developments. Interestingly, some departments have not begun uploading their information, while others are not keen on uploading them on the web portal: www.edodisha.gov.in
The science and technology department, for instance, has not started e-despatch service so far. The law, parliamentary affairs and public grievances and pension administration (PG&PA) departments have not joined the service till now.
“We requested the IT department to provide space and facility for our department. We are going to adopt the system soon,” PG&PA secretary SK Mishra said.
When asked about the delay in implementation of the service, Mishra said in order to join the system certain amount of money should be paid to the IT department and there are formalities which are required to be followed.
Sources in the department of science and technology said they would begin the system soon.
Similarly, some departments including tourism and culture, labour and employee’s state insurance, sports and youth affairs have not used the website to dispatch letters in 2015.
Some departments like commerce and transport, health and family welfare, revenue and disaster management, steel and mines, forest and environment and energy are not uploading their information regularly. These crucial departments, however, are uploading letters which usually do not have any relevance to the public in general.
Ironically, the nodal information and technology department has not been updating its activities regularly. While the home department has stopped issuing letters through the website since January 28, the industries department has stopped functioning since October last on the website.
Some departments like the water resources, housing and urban development and rural development, however, have been updating their information on the site. Of late, these departments, however, are not accessible to public due to some technical snag, thanks to the IT department which is supervising the operations.
According to official sources, lethargy has afflicted these departments which are not keen to upload their letters and notices through the e-despatch system as they fear some of the notices may boomerang on them because they involve revelation of some vital information.
An official of housing and urban development department said, “Several departments including our own are facing staff crunch and so not have adequate technical assistants to update activities regularly. The existing employees either do not have access to computers or do not know how to operate the web portal.”
The IT department officials, however, clarified that as per provisions it is not mandatory for the departments to upload all letters in the public domain.
“All letters cannot be uploaded on the public domain. As per norms, the department can hide important letters and confidential matters,” IT special secretary Palai said.
Sources in the IT department said the state government had implemented the Orissa secretariat workflow automation system (OSWAS) project which is easy to handle and now it has been planning to extend it to the collectorates, directorate and other offices.
“Unfortunately, many government departments have not been able to upload relevant information on the public domain using e-despatch system. Although the government has been claiming that it has adopted transparency in every matter, it failed to provide information to the public,” said Ranjit Patnaik, an RTI activist.
“Had the government updated all necessary information on the portal regularly, we would not have sought information through an RTI,” Ranjit added.