HT Digital
Thursday, October 10: Assam’s Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Ashok Singhal, chaired a groundbreaking review meeting on Wednesday, marking the first-ever paperless departmental review conducted by the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (DoHUA). This digital shift, which took place at the Minister’s office in Janata Bhawan, Dispur, was made possible through the newly developed Unified Portal of DoHUA. The meeting involved multiple verticals under the department, including the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U), Assam Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board (AUWSSB), and the Technical Cell. The event represents a significant step forward in Assam’s efforts to embrace digital governance and improve the efficiency of administrative processes.
The transition to a fully web-based and paperless approach for departmental reviews signifies the state’s growing commitment to digital transformation. During the review, Ashok Singhal emphasized that this approach would now be the standard for all future reviews within the department. This digital transformation aligns with Assam’s vision for improving transparency, accountability, and efficiency in government operations. Senior officials, including the Commissioner & Secretary of DoHUA, Kavitha Padmanabhan, along with vertical heads and the developers behind the new portal, were present at the meeting. Singhal expressed his confidence that this innovative step would set a new precedent for how departmental functions are managed in the state.
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A key focus of the meeting was ensuring real-time data uploads to the portal by all the concerned verticals. The minister gave clear instructions to the heads of each vertical and the portal’s developers to guarantee that accurate and up-to-date data is made available on the system. Additionally, field officers were instructed to begin uploading data, including photographs and progress reports from the field, directly to the portal. This would enhance both transparency and accountability in the department’s day-to-day operations and long-term projects.
Ashok Singhal highlighted the benefits of the paperless approach, stating that it would significantly reduce the paperwork that has historically slowed down the decision-making process. With everything centralized in a unified digital platform, it will be easier for senior officials and staff to track project progress and make timely decisions. This approach is expected to streamline operations across the department and foster better coordination between various stakeholders.
The Unified Portal is designed to be user-friendly, allowing easy access to data for officials at every level, including those working in the field. By ensuring that field officers have direct access to the portal for real-time data entry, the department aims to minimize delays in reporting and project updates. This real-time data upload feature will also provide top-level officials with the ability to monitor ongoing projects closely, identify potential bottlenecks, and take corrective action where necessary.
By embracing this digital solution, the DoHUA aims to set an example for other departments in Assam to follow suit, encouraging the adoption of similar paperless review mechanisms across the state’s administrative framework. Singhal believes that this digital shift will result in more effective governance, allowing the state to deliver services to its citizens more efficiently.
In addition to streamlining internal processes, the minister noted that this move aligns with broader national and global efforts to reduce paper consumption and contribute to environmental sustainability. He lauded the development team behind the Unified Portal for their hard work in bringing this vision to life and urged all departments and agencies under DoHUA to fully utilize the system moving forward.
As Assam continues to modernize its governance infrastructure, the success of this first paperless review meeting marks a significant milestone in the state’s journey toward digital transformation. Singhal reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the state’s urban affairs department remains at the forefront of innovation, continuously striving for greater transparency, efficiency, and accountability in serving the people of Assam.
