National
Few complaints despite poor service delivery in Okhaldhunga, Baitadi
Despite facing the hardship receiving government services, a majority of service seekers in Okhaldhunga and Baitadi districts do not register complaints with the officials or agencies concerned.Prithvi Man Shrestha
Despite facing the hardship receiving government services, a majority of service seekers in Okhaldhunga and Baitadi districts do not register complaints with the officials or agencies concerned.
A recent survey conducted by the National Vigilance Centre (NVC), an anti-graft body under the Prime Minister’s Office, found 61 percent service seekers in Okhaldhunga and 58 percent in Baitadi did not register their complaints.
The survey was conducted among 100 service seekers at the Local Governments, Land Revenue Offices, District Administration Offices, and District Hospitals, among others. Every year, the centre holds a survey among the service seekers on the status of service delivery of the government agencies.
According to NVC Spokesperson Bishnu Raj Lamichhane, a majority of people interviewed have a tendency to get their works done quickly and they usually do not pay attention to registering complaints. “It could be because of a general lack of awareness about the complain registration system,” he said.
Although the government has announced that it would implement Citizen Charters with a provision of compensation for the losses borne by the service seekers for delay in service delivery, it is largely ineffective.
Five percent of the respondents in Okhaldhunga did not believe their complaints would be addressed even if they registered complaints.
Many people are also unaware about the time it takes to receive the services. In Okhaldhunga, 51 percent of the respondents said they were ignorant about the time it would take for service delivery, while 54 percent service seekers in Baitadi gave the same answer.
But, nearly half the service seekers in Okhaldhunga complained that they did not get timely services, with 45 percent complaining about the delay in service delivery. Forty-five percent said they received timely services, while 10 percent declined to comment on the topic.
Around half of the participants who were interviewed during the survey in the districts also complained that government employees were unsupportive. During the survey, the service seekers in Okhaldhunga suggested that the government agencies should ensure service delivery even when the government employees are on leave. Many complained that frequent transfers of government employees have affected service delivery.
They also suggested the chiefs at the local governments should not travel along with the elected representatives to a single function in order to ensure uninterrupted service delivery.
In Baitadi, most people were found to be receiving timely service, with only 4 percent complaining about the delay. In fact, 92 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with service delivery, with 94 percent giving positive feedback on the behaviour of government employees.
According to Lamichhane, service delivery has improved compared to the past since the elected representatives took office last year.