‘Reassign textbook paper supply to Stationery Dept’

A makeover is on the cards for the stationery department which deals with supplying stationery materials to government offices.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A makeover is on the cards for the stationery department which deals with supplying stationery materials to government offices.

A slew of proposals, entrusting the department with its earlier responsibility of purchasing and distributing papers for making school textbooks, have been proposed in the report by the personnel and administrative department (PAD). “Till 2015-16 academic year, the right to procure and distribute the paper for printing text books was vested with the stationery department. But in the following academic year it failed to meet the deadline and hence the task was assigned to Ernakulam-based Kerala Books and Publications Society.”
As per the report, the department could not be held accountable for the delay caused by administrative side and thus the task of purchasing and distributing papers for textbooks be given back to it which could be supervised by a senior officer for the timely distribution of paper.

The other recommendations, include changing the name of the Stationery Department to State Purchase and Service Department; bringing the department under Stores and Purchase Department, converting it into a centralised purchasing agency; constitution of a technical wing under it; setting up of a call centre for dealing with complaints related to supply of stationery materials etc. At a time when the government offices have switched to a paperless system, the report observed that the department has failed to change in tune with the time. The department could have taken up procurement and distribution of computers to offices.

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