Lahore: The Punjab Food Safety and Consumer Protection Department has digitised more than 131,000 official files, marking a major step towards paperless governance under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s e-Vision initiative. Secretary Food Safety and Consumer Protection Dr Kiran Khurshid told media on Wednesday that 131,821 official files had been successfully scanned and uploaded to the department’s digital record management system, significantly reducing reliance on physical documentation. She said seven of the department’s eight attached organisations had achieved Level-4 digitalization, while the Directorate General of Food had reached Level-3, with work continuing to convert its extensive backlog of legacy records.
According to the secretary, the Punjab Food Authority, Directorate General of Enforcement, PAYAM, and Punjab Sahulat Bazar Authority had completed 100 per cent digitization of records at both headquarters and field offices. To accelerate the remaining work, the Directorate General of Food has been equipped with seven additional high-speed scanners, with officials tasked to digitise 25,000 pages daily until all pending records are converted.
Dr Khurshid said major departments, including the Punjab Food Authority, PAMRA, the Directorate General of Food and Cane Commissioner, and the Punjab Sahulat Bazar Authority, had also been integrated with the e-Biz portal, enabling online processing of business-related services.
She added that the Directorate General of Food had already received its first three online applications through the portal, describing the development as an important milestone in improving transparency, efficiency and digital public service delivery in Punjab.