(1) No draft is required to be prepared in simple and straight-forward cases or those of a repetitive nature for which standard forms of communication exist. Such cases may be submitted to the appropriate officer with fair copies of the communication for signature.
(2) It is not always necessary to await the approval of the proposed line of action and the draft will be put up simultaneously along with the notes by the initiating level officer. The higher officer may revise the draft if it does not conform to the approved course of action.
(3) After a final decision is taken by the competent authority he may have the fair communication made for his signature and authorise its issue; otherwise, he will prepare a draft and submit it to the appropriate higher officer for approval.
The officer approving the issue of a draft will append his initials with the date on the draft. It is also expected of him that he passes orders on the file simultaneously whether the draft so approved should be kept on the file (along with the office copy of the communication issued in fair) or not.
Initial drafting will be done in black or blue ink. Modifications in the draft at the subsequent levels may be made in green or red ink by the officers so as to distinguish the corrections made.
Ref Para 68 of the Manual of Officer Procedure
General Instructions for drafting:
(1) A draft should carry the message sought to be conveyed in a language that is clear, concise and incapable of misconstruction.
(2) Lengthy sentences, abruptness, redundancy, circumlocution, superlatives and repetition, whether of words, observations or ideas, should be avoided.
(3) Official communications emanating from a department and purporting to convey the views or orders of the Government of India must specifically be expressed to have been written under the directions of Government. This requirement does not, however, imply that each communication should start with the phrase `I am directed to say' or `The undersigned is directed to convey', which has the effect of distancing the communicator from the reader at the very outset. A more direct and to-the-point format is to be preferred if some degree of rapport is to be established with the receiver of the communication. The obligatory requirement can be met in a variety of imaginative ways. For instance, variations of the phrase can be added to the operative part of the letter towards the end as under:
.......…….I have the pleasure to inform you that the government, on reconsideration of the matter, has decided to sanction an additional grant of........…….
or
…....…....In the light of the above developments, government conveys its inability to accede to.........……..
(4) Communications of some length or complexity should generally conclude with a summary.
(5) Depending upon the form of communication the subject should be mentioned in it (including reminders).
(6) The number and date of the last communication in the series, and if this is not from the addressee, his last communication on the subject, should always be referred to. Where it is necessary to refer to more than one communication or a series of communications, this should be done in the margin of the draft.
(7) All drafts put up on a file should bear the file number. When two or more communications are to issue from the same file to the same addressee on the same date, a separate serial number may be inserted before the numeral identifying the year to avoid confusion in reference, e.g., A-11011/5(I)/2001-Est., A-11011/5(II)/2001-Est.
(8) A draft should clearly specify the enclosures which are to accompany the fair copy. In addition, short oblique lines should be drawn at appropriate places in the margin for ready reference by the typist, the comparers and the despatcher. The number of enclosures should also be indicated at the end of the draft on the bottom left of the page thus-`Encl. 3'.
(9) If copies of an enclosure referred to in the draft are available and are, therefore, not to be typed, an indication to that effect will be given in the margin of the draft below the relevant oblique line.
(10) If the communication to be despatched by post is important (e.g., a notice cancelling a licence or withdrawing an existing facility) or encloses a valuable document (such as an agreement, service book or a cheque) instructions as to whether it should be sent through registered post or speed post or in an insured cover, will be given on the draft by the section officer concerned with its issue.
(11) Urgent communications with bulky enclosures to far-flung areas like Andaman & Nicobar Islands will be arranged to be despatched by Air Parcel through Indian Airlines. The addressee will also be advised through wireless to take delivery of the consignment. Instructions to this effect will be given by the Divisional Head/Branch Officer/Section Officer at the time of approval of draft.
(12) The name, designation, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address of the officer, over whose signature the communication is to issue, should invariably be indicated on the draft.
(13) In writing or typing a draft, sufficient space should be left for the margin and between successive lines to admit additions or interpolation of words, if necessary.
(14) A slip bearing the words `Draft for approval' should be attached to the draft. If two or more drafts are put up on a file, the drafts as well as the slips attached thereto will be marked `DFA I', `DFA II', `DFA III' and so on.
(15) Drafts which are to issue as `Immediate' or `Priority' will be so marked under the orders of an officer not lower in rank than a Section Officer.
(16) Instructions contained in Appendix 7 will be observed while drafting.
Ref Para 69 of the Manual of Officer Procedure
No comments:
Post a Comment