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Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Jitendra Singh said on Friday the government was working with states to implement the practice of self-attestation across departments. The practice of gazette officers signing affidavits was a Colonial-era practice, he said.
“The decision to implement self-attestation is one of the most historic and landmark decisions since Independence. A circular has gone to all states. Some of the states have approved it. Some are complacent. But we are pushing the practice of adopting self-attestation in place of affidavits,” Singh said at a seminar on corruption at businesses and workplace.
All central government ministries have been asked to review the requirement of affidavits and attested copies by gazetted officers in various forms in a phased-manner and make provision for self-certification of documents and abolition of affidavits wherever possible.
Singh said the government was committed to end corruption and bring in anti-graft legislations. “We have to plan and target a situation or at least endeavour to proceed in a direction where we have a society which is incorruptible by virtue,” he said.
Also at the seminar was Sanjay Kothari, secretary, department of Personnel, spoke about the steps taken by the current government to curb corruption and increase transparency, including simplification of procedures, elimination of redundancy in compliances, digitalisation of transactions and processes, reducing transaction costs, self-certification and abolition of the requirement of affidavits.
