Patna: The state government is going to make service records of its employees digital by introducing the Human Resource Management System (HRMS).

"Everything, including an employee's earned leave, pay structure, if suspended, promotions, transfers and all related information will now be put in the HRMS, after which disposal of applications by employees will become faster," deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said in the Assembly on Monday. He was responding to a query by Samir Kumar Mahaseth on delay in processing of applications related to employees' earned leave.

Sushil conceded there was delay as applications have to be forwarded by the department head to the finance department for approval. Over 8,000 applications were pending in his department. "But after implementation of HRMS, processing will be faster," he said. He, however, said it would take around a year to implement HRMS. "In the meantime, I can ask officials concerned to see if applications related to earned leave can be made online," he said. HRMS will also curb chances of manipulation in service records, he said.

No sugar mill

Sugar cane minister Khurshid Alam, a.k.a. Feroz Ahmad ruled out the state government's involvement in opening new sugar mills in Bihar. He was responding to a question by Lallan Paswan of the RLSP, demanding reopening of the sugar mill in Dalmianagar, Rohtas district. The minister said tenders had been invited from private parties five times. "But there are no takers," Khurshid said. He said the government can facilitate reopening of closed mills but cannot take the initiative itself.

Legislators cutting across party line said the issue was not confined to Rohtas district. It applied across Bihar as 15 sugar mills run by the state sugar corporation had been closed down around two decades ago, most of them were still closed.

RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui alleged that three of the 15 sugar mills that were handed over to private parties had not been reopened. "The private parties are more interested in selling off scrap," he said. Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi asked Opposition parties to bring investors for the sugar mills and the government would facilitate their reopening. He said if no private investor comes, land on which the closed sugar mills stood would be given to the Bihar Industrial Area Development Auhtority (BIADA) for starting other industrial units.