50 yrs on,MCD plans to put its records in order

The agency has also sought help from the National Archives of India,which will train the MCD staff on how to conserve records and maintain their original form.

“If not maintained properly,the papers turn brittle and ultimately decay. The National Archives officials will train our staff to conserve these records in their original form through chemical treatment etc,” Municipal Commissioner K S Mehra said.

At the Central Record Room,records of all the departments will be conserved,organised as per dates or departments etc,and arranged and stored so that they are accessible when needed.

While some records will be digitised,some will be conserved in their original form.

“Once organised,these records will be archived,thus giving them a legacy value and more importantly,making them useful for reference and research purposes,” Mehra added.

A team of MCD’s special staff from all its zones has been put to work for developing the Central Record Room.

The Corporation already has a parallel plan to digitise all its file records as part of its e-governance project. Its Health department has started the digitisation of records of birth and death through outsourcing and has completely digitised all records up to 1998. The process of issuing and renewal of health trade licences has also been computerised and health trade records from all zones have been digitised as part of the e-governance project.

Once both the digitisation and archiving of records is complete,there is a proposal to send the unwanted or redundant files,papers,etc to the Delhi Khadi and Village Industries Board for recycling.

For the record
* MCD was formed in 1958
* Central Record Room to come up at Central Zone office
* MCD staff to be trained by the National Archives of India
* Some records will be digitised,some conserved in original form
* In a parallel plan,Health dept is digitising birth and death records