Solving Petty Grievances

1. Classic Example of a petty grievance
2. Madhya Pradesh takes the lead
3. Swaraj to address petty grievances

Classic Example of a petty grievance

Even before Binny Ahuja (29), a resident of Saraswati Vihar, Delhi, got married in April 2008, he was informed that getting a marriage registered and obtaining a certificate is mandatory. There was a Supreme Court order to that effect, he was told.

Inexperienced as he was in the workings of babus at the office of registrar, Ahuja believed naively that getting a marriage certificate would be as simple a process as submitting the required documents to a government office and receiving the certificate in return.

He was in for a shock. As he presented himself and his wife at the office of registrar, he realized that no official was remotely interested in promptly accepting his duly attested documents and giving him the marriage certificate.

Even though he had consulted the official website in arranging for his testimonials, Ahuja was told of several points on which his testimonials fell short of the requirements. There were dozens of people, including poor and illiterate men and women, similarly waiting in the queue or pleading with the officials to take a look at their applications for various kinds of certificates.

He finally realized that getting a mandatory certificate from a government department is also a corrupted process it works either for those who have a sifarish or those who are ready to pay bribes.

Ahuja requests to meet the District Magistrate, who sits in the same building. The IAS officer declines flatly to meet Ahuja even after learning the serious nature of his complaint. Ahuja now has no idea whom to complain to.

He is terrified to think that if getting a mandatory certificate is such an exploitative process, even for an educated person like him, what will government babus do to the rights of those who are poor and illiterate.

TOP

Madhya Pradesh takes the lead

In Madhya Pradeshs Panchayat law, for instance, its mandatory for 8 kinds of government officials to be present in every Gram Sabha meeting; they are Patwari, Gram Sevak, Teacher, Ration shop licensee, ANM (nurse), Anganwadi worker, ASHA (primary health worker), and Nakedar (a forest official, in areas with forests). Each of these public servants is supposed to present themselves with records that Gram Sabha has asked for and give an account of their work. The Gram Sabha can openly question these officials and, if they are found to have engaged in some irregularity, pass strictures against them.

This power rightfully belongs to all citizens of India, through the medium of a Gram Sabha or a Mohalla Sabha; it should also be reinforced to the extent that all providers of public services become totally subservient and accountable to the public.

In 2002, MP Government empowered the Gram Sabhas to withhold the salary of the local official who did not perform. This had a great impact in areas, where people used this power.

In one village, the lady sarpanch told us that earlier the anganwadi worker never used to come. When this amendment came, the sarpanch called a meeting of the whole village. The anganwadi worker was presented before the village assembly and asked publicly – how many days did you come in the last two months? Now, she cannot tell a lie before the entire village. She admitted she had come for only two days. The people asked her – what happened to mid day meal money? She had to confess before the public that she had siphoned off the funds. Some people shouted that the woman should be sacked. But some elders cautioned that removing her was not the objective, the idea was to make her work because there was no guarantee that the next person would be any better. So, it was decided that the woman should be watched for a month, if she improved, she would be allowed to continue, else she would be removed in the next Gram Sabha meeting. And she actually improved.

Imagine if this power were not there with the people. Then the people could have only complained to higher authorities, who would either throw their compliant to the dustbin, or at best institute an enquiry. The enquiry officer would take a bribe from the anganwadi worker and give a report in her favour and the matter would be closed. But giving power to the people not only provided relief to the people but also reduced the work load of higher authorities.

TOP

Swaraj to address petty grievances

The public experiences the corruption, exploitation, and incompetence of the so called public servants at ration office, PWD office, electricity board, water supply office, transport authority, tax collectors, municipality, police, government hospitals, and even government offices dealing with pension and social security.

Scores of public services don’t work; they could be in the form of broken roads, mountains of rubbish, overflowing sewers, absentee teachers and doctors, and touts replacing officials at transport authority.

Though some citizens dare to write and submit detailed complaints against exploitation or incompetence of a public servant, they have no hope their complaints will be acted upon.

Under proposed reforms, all Gram Sabhas or mohalla sabhas should have the power to summon public servants, question them, and hold them accountable for their deeds and misdeeds. Now, a citizen would be able to raise his/her individual grievances at a Gram Sabha or Mohalla Sabha meeting. The meeting would summon that official and take him to task for not performing.

Exercising supervision over government services is the role of the people --- not of a few self-important and corruptible bureaucrats who are least likely to protect the public interest.

TOP