Successfully implementing the Centre’s e-office or “paperless office” scheme can now earn ministries and departments of the central government awards. Jitendra Singh, the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office, has written to all ministers, urging them to switch to paperless operations post haste. Those doing commendable work as part of this initiative may be awarded for excellence in public administration, he said. These awards are handed out annually by the prime minister on Civil Services Day, which falls on April 21, PTI reported.

The move is part of efforts to improve ease of governance and to speed up administrative work, Singh said, adding that it was “one of the priority works of the government”. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances is providing financial aid to implement the e-office initiative. A scheme to ensure better performance in ministries and departments is also being drawn up, Singh said in his letter, adding that the Ministry of Panchayati Raj had completely switched over to using an e-office platform, and the Ministry of Rural Development was close on its heels.