By: Faisal Ansar
Public sector organizations are famous for their delaying tactics to get any particular work done and it could be asked from a person who has suffered from such experience. If a common man gives an application for any particular work to be done in any public sector organizations whether it comes under provincial governments or federal government it becomes a dilemma to get his work done until and unless he does not grease palms of government officers. Why and how the work is delayed in public sector organizations, it is only because of delayed and slow movement of files from one officer to another Byu, from one section to another section and from one office to another office.
Normally, it happens so that if any common person submits any application for particular work to be done, it is initially received in R&I (receive and issue) section addressed to head of the department and on his/her, that application is put up by assistant or clerk to their immediate reporting officer i.e. section officer or assistant director who further sends file to his immediate officer i.e. deputy director or deputy secretary and then to additional director or additional secretary which is finally reached to head of the department i.e. secretary with all pros and cons under the lights of government rules and regulations and once the head of the department makes a decision in favor or otherwise of the applicant it reaches to a section or officer from where it was initiated. The problem is that the delayed and slow movement of files from one officer to another officer makes applicant frustrated and dejected and that’s how work is delayed in public sector organizations. Can it be imagined that sometimes files dump and pend in some of sections for months and sometimes for years and action is not taken on that file just acquire some money by illegal means. On the contrary, some files do not stop at any stage for which they get money.
Competent authority should ensure that movement of files might not delay or pend in any section or to the table of any officer and it would be better to pass a legislation that no officer could keep any file up to minimum of three working days and maximum to seven working days and should move to upward to immediate officer for further necessary action or downward to subordinate for any clarification if he requires under the rules and if any officer is found keeping files on his table or a section keeps a files in their section for more than such time period, punitive action should be initiated against that officer or concerned officer of that section because in public sector organizations if files are not moving timely to immediate officers means something else like to demand money by illegal means to move files further. If any file requires more time than required, permission should be sought from head of the department and that department should give concrete and exact time period to applicant so that he/she might not suffer. This is bitter but sad reality of public sector organizations and we all should find its solution rather than keep denying that there is no such culture in public sector organization. Once Malik Riaz Hussain outspoken on a TV channel that without giving bribe one cannot get his done in any public sector organization.
If competent authority succeeds to pass and implement such legislation, sufferings of common people would definitely reduce as government officials are supposed to be the expert of delaying, procrastinating and keeping files on their tables for so long as to negotiate and bargain with applicant to earn money by illegal means to get their files moved to immediate officer. Proper checks and balances are required to be taken to avoid such delaying tactics of such officers who delays the files without any valid reasons and if there is any issue in the file under the rules should immediately be sent back to officer or clerk from where it was initiated and if any particular assignment cannot be accomplished, applicant should be intimated without wasting of time. On the other hand, common people should be encouraged to file complain if their work is not done timely by any public sector organization/department while defaulter officer should be taken into account for punishment as government officials are called civil servant and they are supposed to serve the people and the nation rather than cheating them and looting public exchequer.