Pune Municipal Corporation’s “e-Office” System Faces Slow Adoption Despite Potential Benefits

Pune, 21st December 2024: To speed up the administrative work of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and reduce the movement of paper files, the “e-Office” system was developed based on the models of the Central Government and Maharashtra State Government. However, the use of this system is being ignored by the department heads, and it seems that the system is not being effectively utilized within the PMC. This raises the question of whether the administration is still inclined to stick to old paper-based processes.

The e-office system is designed to digitalize all types of work, bringing dynamism and transparency to the process. In the first phase, it will be implemented in 45 main offices of PMC. In the second phase, the system will be extended to 5 zones and 15 ward offices. Necessary training and user IDs have been provided to all employees, with four rounds of training already conducted.

Developed by the National Information Centre of the Central Government, this system is already in use in all government offices at both the Central and Maharashtra State levels. Following the same model, PMC is implementing the system within its offices. Files are created and sent online to different departments. Service regulations are in place to specify the department and the duration for handling each file, allowing the file’s journey to be tracked with just one click. Additionally, with all records online, the risk of documents or files getting lost is minimized. Each officer also has an “e-signature,” eliminating the need for physical files.

Despite these advantages, PMC’s Information and Technology Department has been issuing instructions for the implementation of the system for the past year. However, only a few departments are fully implementing it, with many employees and officers delaying its adoption, often citing excuses.