‘Feedback Model can end corruption in govt depts’

LAHORE
Chairman Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) Dr. Umar Saif has said the Citizen Feedback Model (CFM), devised by the PITB, has a great potential to eradicate corruption and malpractices from within the government departments.
He said this while briefing the District Coordination Officers and other officers of the Lahore division on the CFM.
He said the envisaging its efficacy, Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and Chief Secretary Punjab were highly concerned to make it a success. Explaining the process, Dr. Saif told the media that when any citizen approached the government office to get domicile certificate, driving licence, registry of property, rescue services, flood relief assistance or treatment from an emergency ward of public hospital, his/her contact number were fed into the main server housed at the PITB. Those citizens are then contacted via CM’s call followed by an SMS and asked about the conduct or any malpractice on the part of the officials concerned. “More than 8.7 million citizens have so far been contacted through the system within the last six months since the system got functional. Almost 1.5 complaints regarding corruption were received and the departmental action had been taken against about 7,500 accused officials”, he added. However, the main role could be played by the DCO as the competent authority to take action against such complaints so they were urged to take personal interest in this regard”, he added. The DCOs of Lahore, Sheikhupura, and Nankana Sahib also attended the meeting.
They suggested sending of SMS alert to the respective DCO immediately after the corruption was reported in the main dashboard. Moreover, they unanimously suggested that the EDOs of all the district departments should also have access to main dashboard so that they might take necessary action at their own on the matters falling within their jurisdiction. It may save time and accelerate the process of grievance redress, they opined.