Mira Bhayandar: MBMC First in State to Go Paperless In All Departments

Mira Bhayandar: In a rare achievement, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has become the first civic body in the state to go paperless in all its departments by successfully transitioning from age-old manual operations to an electronic office system. To conduct its office procedures electronically for a simplified, responsive, effective, and transparent manner, the Municipal Commissioner, Sanjay Katkar, took the lead in launching the e-office platform developed by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology-controlled National Informatics Centre (NIC) immediately after his appointment.

Just 15 days after registering itself for the implementation of the e-office system on August 15, 2023, the civic administration incorporated the electronic system in the garden department. After the success of the pilot project, the civic administration fast-tracked the transition process by mapping and mobilising files on the e-office platform for all departments and made the e-governance process operational on October 16.

Class I to III officials trained by NIC

“We are proud to announce that the transition of all our departments to the e-office platform is complete. This will not only increase efficiency in handling files but also ensure accountability and transparency in day-to-day functioning,” said Katkar. Regular training and orientation sessions on the e-office system were conducted for Class I to III officials by the NIC team, imparting theoretical and practical knowledge on topics including the file tracking system, conversion of physical files to e-files, and creating drafts on the e-office platform, effectively reducing the use of paper. “The e-office system will now ensure quick disposal of approvals and sanctions due to electronic movement of files, which can be tracked in a simplified manner, leading to enhanced productivity,” said Systems-in-charge Raj Gharat. As a token of appreciation, NIC awarded a certificate to MBMC for smoothly transitioning from manual to electronic office system in all its departments.

However, training and motivating the clerical staffers (who are the first point of contact for applicants) to switch from physical to electronic processes pose a challenging task for the civic administration.