Rawalpindi Enforces Paperless Governance Across Civic Authorities

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has made digital file processing mandatory across all its directorates with immediate effect, enforcing a strict zero-paper policy to modernise public service delivery and streamline administrative procedures. Official correspondence, public applications, and inter-departmental files will now transition entirely to the Electronic File and Office Automation System (EFOAS), marking a pivotal institutional shift away from traditional manual paperwork in the garrison city.

The directives were issued under the oversight of Commissioner Rawalpindi Division and RDA Director General Salman Ghani, who chaired a high-level review meeting to assess the readiness of the authority’s administrative framework. Official guidelines dictate that no physical files will be entertained for routine operations unless exceptional statutory provisions apply. Ghani instructed IT officers to conduct rigorous training sessions for staff across all administrative tiers to eliminate system bottlenecks and ensure an uninterrupted migration to the digital platform.

This decisive implementation of EFOAS paperless governance aligns with wider provincial digital transformation initiatives aimed at enhancing institutional transparency, curbing administrative delays, and curbing bureaucratic corruption. By establishing trackable digital footprints for every document, the platform substantially reduces processing times for urban development approvals, zoning clearances, and public grievances, while significantly lowering paper waste and operational overheads for the exchequer.

Administrative monitoring committees have been assigned to conduct weekly audits of departmental compliance, with non-compliant officers facing departmental scrutiny. The civic authority is now expected to integrate additional citizen-facing portals with the internal EFOAS mechanism, paving the way for a fully digitized public interface across Rawalpindi Division in the coming months.