KARACHI – Though, the bureaucracy is supposed to listen to the complaints of the masses, the Sindh bureaucracy, which have been assigned the task to resolve the issues of masses, are ignoring the people visiting their offices on regular basis, creating several problems for the poverty-stricken citizens, it has emerged.
Interestingly, the rules and regulations clearly state that the bureaucrat is bound to have at least an hour to meet the general public and listen to their grievances. But, here in Sindh, the senior officials (secretaries) of almost all the departments refuse to meet the public due to unknown reasons – best known to them -.
Despite having set 12 to 1pm for the general public, Sindh secretaries are reluctant to meet the poor public who visit the offices on regular basis to get resolved their long-pending issues.
The bureaucrats even ignore the media persons who visit their offices to get the official version for their stories, a detailed visit conducted by the Pakistan Today revealed.
Under the Sindh government’s uniform policy, 12:00 to 1:00 pm is just an hour in which the secretaries are supposed to meet common people and employees of concerned department.
But, the Secretary Education Naheed Durani (daughter of Sindh chief minister), Secretary Coal and Energy Development Department Aijaz Ali Khan, Secretary Services Iqbal Durrani (close relative of chief minister) and many others are avoiding meeting public, the visit further reveals.
Interestingly, these bureaucrats have issued verbal orders to the staff, restricting the office staff in allowing the public into the bureaucrat’s offices.
The secretary education has reportedly ordered the deputy secretary to sit in the department’s committee room to meet public during 12 to 1pm. The PS to secretary education also confirmed this saying that secretary had ordered the staff for not sending any visiting cards or parchi for the purpose of meetings. The secretary has ordered Saira, DS (Schools) to attend the public and later informing her for their grievances.
“I am only authorized to forward application, complaints and other public issues to the secretary. However, I can not line up any meeting of anyone with the secretary as she (secretary) is the daughter of Sindh chief minister”, she told Pakistan Today.
A visitor, Mehtab Soomro, hailing from Hyderabad district, who was present at Committee room, told Pakistan Today that all the former secretaries used to meet general public but Naheed Durrani had no time for her the public.
“I am visiting the secretary’s office for the last couple of days but the official has no time as I can tell about my genuine problem of my wife’s job, who is working as lecturer in education department”, he adds.
“I am settled in Hyderabad district however my wife is posted in district Dadu where she is living in a hostel”, Soomro further says.
Another complainant, Ali Dino Solangi, hailing from Sangharr, told Pakistan Today that he was working with the education department but was sacked in Nawaz Sharif rule. “Now, I am trying to meet the secretary and get reinstated under President’s orders but the secretary education is not ready to give me a little time to listen my matter”.
Despite her presence in the office, the secretary education even refused to meet the reporter of the Pakistan Today.
The same situation can also been witnessed at the offices of a number of secretaries particularly Aijaz Ali Khan, Iqbal Durrani etc.
