GPS-enabled chips fixed on files will keep track of their movement and time bound clearance at various sections of government departments.
Bikaner is the first district in Rajasthan to adopt this technology, a brainchild of district collector Prithviraj Sankhala.
In case of delay in clearing a file, the system will send an automated alert through SMS to the officer concerned urging him to speed up the process. The GPS chips are also expected to stem corruption involved in clearing files.
“I was looking for an automated file tracking system with minimum human interference. This technology will effectively tackle the issues of missing files, difficulty in locating them and their slow processing by officials in government departments,” Sankhala said .
Trial basis
The project will be implemented on a trail basis in the Urban Improvement Trust (UIT) in Bikaneer. GPS-enabled chips or Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) will be fixed on about 5,000 files. The cost is estimated to be Rs 30 to Rs 50 per file.
The Rs 10 lakh-project will be launched in two weeks, said Sankhala. The files fitted with the chips can be tracked with the help of a reader up to five metres radius, called the Reader Coverage Area. Chip readers will be installed in all UIT sections, including accounts, administrative, drawing, engineering and general sections. Readers will also be installed at the main entrance and in the collector’s room.
This will help avoid delay in starting projects and payment to contractors, said the collector.
So far, the technology has been used in Rajasthan to track tigers and buses of Rajasthan Roadways.