Minister for Revenue Krishna Byre Gowda conducted a surprise visit to Hunsur taluk office in Mysuru district on Tuesday and took the officials to task over their alleged laxity in the implementation of the e-office system and clearing of files.
Mr. Gowda, who was headed to Mysuru on Tuesday from Madikeri, where he presided over the progress review meeting of the Revenue Department in Kodagu district on Monday, stopped by the taluk office in Hunsur, taking the officials by surprise.
After perusing the attendance register to ascertain the presence on time of the officials working in the office, Mr. Gowda sought to examine the implementation of e-office software in the taluk office that facilitates paperless movement of files. Upon learning that the officials had not fully implemented the e-office system and were still maintaining physical records in files, Mr. Gowda questioned the officials of the taluk office.
He randomly took up an application submitted by a farmer for change of pahani submitted in May 2023 and questioned the officials on their failure to clear the file pending in the physical records even after a lapse of seven months.
Taking the officials to task, Mr. Gowda questioned them if their reluctance to shift to e-office was to maintain opaqueness over the movement of files that the old system of physical records assures. “Under e-office, which ensures transparency of file movement, one can easily know with whom a particular file is pending. But, if you maintain physical records, it will take one hour to find out with whom the file is pending and a day to locate the file”, he said.
It may be recalled here that Mr. Gowda had conducted a similar surprise visit to Maddur Taluk office on January 17 and found that the e-office software had not been fully installed though the government had issued directions to mandatorily implement e-office in all taluk offices and assistant commissioner’s offices from August 2023.
The government had subsequently suspended the Administrative Officer of Maddur taluk office Chandrashekar N. for claiming that e-office had been implemented even though it was not fully installed.
After concluding his visit to the Hunsur taluk office, Mr. Gowda visited Suttur Mutt and met Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swami. The six-day-long Suttur Jathra Mahotsava of Sri Shivarathreeshwara Shivayogi Swami began at the Mutt premises in Suttur near here on Tuesday.
