The project aims to install various complaint cells throughout the province. A mechanism whereby citizens can file a complaint against public officials through a cell phone service will be implemented in each district. “This method proved very effective in almost eliminating instances of petty corruption in the Jhang district,” said tele-monitoring official Qadir, adding “We hope that the same method will work in other districts.”The tele-monitoring system will include examining all the telephone records of the government servants and their responses to public complaints. “This will help bridge the gap between civil servants of the government and the people of Punjab,” said Multan DCO Muhammad Khurram Agha. “They key is for all the DCOs to be involved and to personally address every complaint. If one directly calls the complainant then it is easier to eliminate all the middle men and take action against the corrupt officials involved,” he said.
The Punjab government has launched this project in the seven districts of the Punjab whose names have been kept confidential.
The project has been modelled on the success of a system initiated by former Jhang DCO Zubair Bhatti.
Bhatti detailed the workings of the model during a TEDx conference in Lahore last year and mentioned that the Punjab government was extremely interested in trying it out elsewhere.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that he will personally monitor the system and will be seeking regular reports from the DCOs involved. “This is a commendable step for the poor man who cannot grease palms to file a simple complaint or get his documents processed,” said Multan resident Safdar, adding “we never complain against extortion because we know it will only make things worse but if we can speak to the DCO directly than it will help matters a lot.”
The system also encourages residents to comment on the behaviour and conduct of the government servants, so that personal interactions can be improved.
The monitoring call centre has been set up in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat Lahore and local calls, SMS services and even cell phone calls will be monitored from there.
The CM has also ordered that a detailed report be compiled of all the complaints and the time duration in which these have been addressed. The report booklets will be submitted by the Punjab Information Technology board.
These booklets will forward information regarding the complainants visiting government offices so they can be contacted again. Action will be taken against the government servants in accordance with the law.
The Punjab chief minister will monitor the project on a daily basis and a feedback report will be submitted to him every week.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 26th, 2011.
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