Mobile phones for government officials
Mohammed Nawazish, Retired civil servant, Dhanmondi ,Dhaka
A recent decision by the government to equip senior officials with mobile phones has created a sort of muffled curiosity among the people. The question necessarily surfaces--who among the civil servants actually need an official mobile phone, and why? If it is only for the purpose of maintaining an administrative hot line amongst the top few, we have no comments, but if it is intended for improving the quality of public service, we applaud, with reservations. A telephone saves time and paper work, it causes both the desk-based and field service dispensers to promptly respond to public need, it is the swiftest medium to receive and send directions in emergency. Conceptually, therefore, a mobile link should go a long way in providing better service to the people with speed and efficiency, but, sadly though, our long experience and the age-old rust and creaks in our administration cog-wheel constrain us to be sceptical of its success.Telephones in offices are more ornamental pieces than articles of utility. They also signify status--rows of highbred colourful sets make one gawk at their possessor and hold breath in sheer admiration. Nowadays, even the junior supervisors have telephones. To be true, the purpose for which official telephones are approved is seldom carried out. You hardly get a reply from the telephone or electric complaint desks, you do not know whom to contact in the WASA bill section or the passport office, you usually get no reply from railway reservation or enquiry counters and when you are fortunate with a yell from the other end, you get nowhere because of the respondent's total ignorance. You get all sort of deluding reply from the airlines offices, banks, post offices, municipalities and even hospitals. If you have to talk to a senior member of the office hierarchy, receive the first rebuff from his personal staff. He will refuse to throw the line on one plea or the other and if you happen to succeed finally, the cold and pointless mumbles of the big boss will soon make you vow not to talk to his likes in future. Fact is, even in the 21st century we are decades away from developing a telephone culture in offices that would definitely reduce dependence on irritating correspondence and file work much to the relief of the common people. Here, the office phone is essentially a facility meant for private purpose. Mobile phones are no cure for the existing pattern of things. But efforts to introduce modern devices have to continue. Keeping in view the public interest and needs, it is very necessary to select the right officials who are to be provided with mobile sets.
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