Telangana Govt to digitise Cabinet meeting files henceforth

The Hindu

4 hours ago

Telangana government has taken another leap towards IT administration deciding to digitise the Cabinet meeting files henceforth.
Until now, cabinet agendas and supporting documents were shared with ministers in the paper form, handled confidentially by the General Administration Department (GAD). From now onwards, all cabinet-related files will be digitally filed and stored, enhancing security, confidentiality, and ease of access.
Chief Secretary A. Ramakrishna Rao has been tasked with overseeing the creation of a robust digital filing system. The government is examining models adopted in other States that have already implemented similar digital initiatives, according to a senior official in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).
'Only a handful of States in India have adopted digital storage of cabinet files so far, making Telangana one of the pioneers in this regard,' he said.
Reviewing of Action Taken Reports (ATRs) of decisions made in previous meetings
Additionally, as part of the reforms, the State cabinet will convene a status review meeting every three months. This special session will focus on reviewing the Action Taken Reports (ATRs) of decisions made in previous meetings. These reviews will involve not just the ministers but also principal secretaries and secretaries of all departments, ensuring collective accountability and administrative support.
The [Chief Minister] Revanth Reddy government wants to position Telangana as a model State for governance and digital administration. As a part of the governance reforms introduced in the last couple of months, the State cabinet will now meet twice every month, with a fixed schedule.
This is to eliminate delays in decision-making and expedite review of ongoing government programmes. 'The ministers have been informed well in advance that the next cabinet meeting will be held on July 10, a practice that will now become a norm,' an official explained.
98 cabinet meetings from 2014
After the formation of Telangana, 98 cabinet meetings have been held of which 18 meetings have been conducted under the current Congress-led government, which assumed office in December 2023.
Officials explain that the latest decision to digitise the Cabinet files reflect a decisive shift towards institutional discipline, transparency, and responsiveness in State administration.