In effort for paperless govt offices, Kerala to make leave application online only

Online leave applications will become mandatory for government employees in a few weeks. This is part of the government’s policy to make offices paperless to the maximum.

When implemented, employees will have two options to submit a leave application: either through the website or mobile app of the Service and Payroll Administrative Repository for Kerala or SPARK. Physical applications will not be accepted in any office except for leave without allowance that requires physical file processing.

Recently, the government has restricted the issue of pay slips on salary payments. “It will help in saving at least 1.5 lakh A4 papers every month. Previously, the drawing and disbursing officer (DDOs) in charge of salary payment at an office would take printouts of salary slips of all colleagues. Many of them would not even bother to take their slips. There were some isolated cases in which employees fabricated pay slips to submit along with loan applications to banks,” said a source.

In the new system, pay slips can be taken by an employee by logging in to his online SPARK account or by making a request with the DDO. In either case, the slip will bear the details of the person who took the printout which would be a deterrent against fraud. 

The present system giving unhindered access to DDOs will continue until mid-December by which all employees have to familiarise themselves with the new system. The Android and iOS versions of the “SPARK on Mobile” app are available on Google PlayStore and App Store, respectively. The app offers facilities like salary slip view and submitting requests for leave, outside duty and compensatory off. Attendance punching will be linked with the app in near future.