At Estate Office, it’s first in, first out

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 22

In a major step towards revamp of public dealing, the Estate Office has ended the powers of officials in disposal of files at their own level.

Sources said Ajit Balaji Joshi, Deputy Commissioner-cum-Estate Officer, had introduced a system — first in, first out (FIFO) — for file management at the Estate Office. Under the new system, residents’ works will be done according to the timeline fixed in the Citizen Charter.

The applications will be processed on a first-come-first-served basis. All staff, from the lower to the senior level, will have to process the files on the FIFO basis only. Unless the file which has come first is processed, the Estate Office staff cannot entertain any other application in that particular category. The sources said the new system would not only ensure transparency, but also speed up disposal of files and end delay. One of the officers dealing with the new system said earlier the files in the Estate Office were dealt with in a random manner and officers chose to clear files as per their convenience. Many a time, this lead to a delay and harassment to the public. The system also provided room for corruption. The office deals with all cases related to property.

Helpline to be introduced

Besides introducing the new system, the Estate Office will also start a helpline on which residents can file  their complaints.

Sources  said the helpline  would be started at the call centre  already handling various  other departments under the  Deputy Commissioner's office.  

400 files disposed of in week   

The Estate Office has disposed of over 400 files in a week  after introducing the FIFO system.

Sources  said 710 files were pending in the  department and only 300 had been left now.