Online file tracking system to be rolled out in school education offices

Kolkata: State education minister Bratya Basu on Friday announced the introduction of an Online File Tracking System (OFTS) to make the disposal of applications submitted to district inspector of schools’ (DI) offices at the secondary level more transparent and timely.

Posting on X, Basu said the initiative had been taken on the instructions of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to make the school education administration more transparent and efficient. “Through this system, teachers, non-teaching staff and school authorities will be able to see the real-time status of their applications, which official at the district inspector of schools’ office is handling them, and for how long,” he wrote.

The system will also allow tracking of proposals sent to the state level and generate daily reports on pending applications, enabling monitoring at district and state levels, he added.

A memorandum issued by the Directorate of School Education directed all district inspectors to implement the system for applications related to service benefits of teaching and non-teaching staff in government-aided and sponsored schools. Under the system, heads of schools will submit physical applications to the DI office.

The first page of the application will be uploaded to the OFTS and forwarded through the system. The receiving section will either send them to the DI or return them to the school if defects are found. The DI will forward the file to the dealing officer or assistant for processing. The file may move through several stages before a final decision is taken. Once disposed of, the final order will be uploaded to the OFTS.

If a matter is forwarded to the Directorate of School Education for approval, the forwarding letter will also be uploaded to maintain the tracking record.