THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the Chief Minister reiterates that 'every FILE carries a LIFE', there are 2,99,425 files gathering dust in the Secretariat. This is the figure given by the Chief Minister in the Legislative Assembly on Monday. More files are piled up in the LSG Department, 1.68 lakh. It is estimated that on an average of, 20,000 new files are generated in the Secretariat every month.

It is estimated that the red tape and procedures of file movement are the reasons behind the delay in its disposal. The centralized system of decision-making at the top also hampers file disposal. The government has ordered that there should be only two levels between the section officer and the department secretary. This was implemented in the General Administration Department as well, but most of the sections in the Finance Department have three to five tiers. According to the report of the Administrative Reforms Department, this is the reason for the accumulation of files. Each department has a respective section in the finance department. This is where departmental files go. The report also states that files are unnecessarily loaded into this section

Petitions will also be filed

• Complaints and petitions received by post or in person will be filed
• After they are numbered at the postal section, they will reach the respective section
• It will reach the Section Officer's assistant
• It will be filed when the assistant records it in the register
• After that, it will be sent to the section officer
• Section officer will send it to the respective offices
• The file has to reach the secretariat within a month
• If there is a delay, an officer of the Under Secretary rank or above will send a letter
• If the file is returned, it will go through the old path again
• The files on which the cabinet has to make a decision upon will be kept separately
• If there is an objection, the file will be sent back to the lower level for clarification

Pending files

Local Self-Government- 1.68 lakhs

Home Department- 20,000

Revenue- 18,000

Health- 15,000

General Education- 35,000

1.98 lakh files in 2019

Pending files in 2019- 1.98 lakh

Settled- 68,000

Pending files in 2022- 1,75,415

Settled- 82,401