Kerala CM VS Achuthanandan while recently inaugurating the digitization
process at the state secretariat, informed that 3.5 crore papers had been fully
digitized. “As many as 3.5 crore papers from 3.5 lakh files from 1991 to 1999
have been fully digitized and the process will continue. This will help state
government officials in the secretariat get the files at one go,” said
Achuthanandan.
The program was taken up by the state IT department with the help of
state-owned Keltron. It has cost the state government Rs 5 crore. Chief
Secretary Neela Gangadharan shared that only half of the job had been done and
spurred on by the success of the process, more files will now be digitized. “At
present ministers and secretaries would have access to these digitized files but
soon these would be made available to other officials. Initially, these files
will be accessible only within the secretariat and in the long-run we will allow
other government offices also to use these,” added Gangadharan.
State IT secretary Ajay Kumar noted that it had taken four years for the
completion of the task. He further added, “No other state government has been
able to accomplish as much digitization of government files in such a short
time.”