Video conferencing cuts short bureaucratic process; may aid state officials take prompt decisions

VIDEO conferencing could turn out be an effective tool to arrange frequent interactions between officers of the Indian Central government departments and those at the state level. Already, it has been used by a few ministries to cut short the conventional bureaucratic process of taking decisions. Sometime back, new secretary of the ministry of corporate affairs R Bandyopadhyay held a meeting with all the Regional Directors (RDs) and Registrars of Companies (ROCs) through video conferencing. Thanks to the deployment of the technology of video conferencing, four Regional Directors and 20 Registrars of Companies spread all over the country interacted with the secretary. The secretary asked the field officers to undertake investor education activities in their respective jurisdiction for which the ministry would be providing necessary technical and financial assistance. Various technical and legal issues were taken up by the field officers, and the officials of the ministry provided necessary clarifications. And yes, all these happened through video conferncing. Mr Bandyopadhyay further stated that such meetings would be held at regular intervals so that the pending issues from both sides were resolved immediately. Significantly, when a committee of secretaries was formed under the chairmanship of cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar to address issues related to financial crisis during the fag end of the last government, video conferencing mode was effectively deployed. It turned out to quite effective and time-saving in the backdrop of the need to quickly resolve issues that could have posed as impediments in smooth implementation of government's stimulus packages. Many a time, very important decisions were taken during video conferencing between Central and state officials, which in turn helped the states to fast-track their implementation mode.

New secretary level post created in law ministry The Cabinet on Thursday approved the creation of one post of adviser to the minister for law and justice on contract basis in the rank, pay and status of secretary to the government of India in the ministry of law and justice for a period of one year. The Adviser to the minister will be responsible for carrying out various initiatives which will facilitate the Ministry to take forward the reforms in the legal and judicial sectors as expeditiously as possible.

Action & Appointments a) The assignment of additional charge of the post of joint secretary, department of science and technology to Sanjiv Nair, a 1982 batch UP cadre IAS and Mission Director, Mission for reinvigorating Agriculture in the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) has been approved for a period of three months or till a joint secretary is posted in the department or until further orders. b) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has accorded ex-post-facto approval for continuation of entrusting of additional charge of the post of Development Commissioner, Kandla Special Economic Zone under the department of commerce to Ms Maya D Khem, Development Commissioner, Mundra SEZ, in additional to her own charge, for a perid of three months beyond September 4, 2009