Use of IT to root out corruption from Punjab offices
By: Mehtab Haider
In order to root out corruption, Punjab is utilizing information technology in selected 15 districts of the province to obtain feedback from citizens to close space of extortion of money from working staff of revenues, education and health departments in a bid to improve service delivery.
According to the World Bank (WB), the Punjab model is aimed at engaging citizens and to close the space for extortion in the delivery of public services. The WB is providing technical assistance under the ‘Proactive Governance Project’ which was among 13 innovative initiatives selected from Bank offices all over the world.
The WB is providing technical support and grants to a pilot program of the government of Punjab aimed at better service delivery and reduction in corruption through the application of the Information Communication Technology (ICT).
The WB grant is aimed at helping the government of Punjab in monitoring, impact evaluation and scaling up the initiative beyond the 15 pilot districts.
The Bank grant will also help in sharing this experience with other provinces. Sharing details of Punjab’s pilot project, the WB official stated that it started from Jhang district in 2008 and later on rolled out to six other districts of the province in mid 2010. A cell has been formed at Chief Minister Secretariat to lead this project in October 2010. This project demonstrated good performance and won Innovation Fund of the World Bank in January 2011.
This project is now operational in 15 districts of the province and active in the revenue, education, and health departments; expanding to driving licence and character certificate branches in police and there are total 489 such facilities across Punjab.
District Officers, once considered too remote and inaccessible, and are now actively talking to citizens to improve service delivery in their districts. “This is a big change, where instead of waiting for citizens, you are approaching them yourself to retrieve critical information”, Asif Tamman, DCO Hafizabad was quoted as saying in one of WB’s presentation.
The types of transactions being monitored under this project are property registration through online, health through SMS to Web in districts, tehsil and rural health centres, and education through SMS to Web for monitoring services availed by staff of education department as well as Pension, GP Fund, Maternity Leave, Long Leave cases.
The complaints are received through automated system such as through mobile or SMS and then there was mechanism placed to curb collusive corruption, address contested cases among citizens or individual complaints.
Basic implementation can be carried out in a matter of hours and record phone numbers of citizens on paper. After receiving complaints, DCOs and EDOs make calls to citizens.
The state, rather than waiting for citizens to approach it with grievances, itself initiates communication through calls and text messages to get live feedback to fight petty corruption and improve service delivery.
The commissioners and the DCOs were assigned brief the legislators in the division/district and seek their support and participation related to this project. Interested legislators started receiving messages every day about their constituents and encouraged to call – as is the case with a few legislators in Jhang and one in Hafizabad.
Incorrect cell numbers, the WB states that the patterns are being identified and DCOs being asked to rectify – invalid data is a good proxy of corruption too Punjab has started taking punitive actions against culprits after receiving complaints but more political will is required to provide benefits to the citizen. The citizens are also required to fill out a receipt that includes total amount paid, breakdown of amount paid and other details.
Source: The News
Date:7/10/2011
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