EDITORIAL
Government must ensure that breakdowns in water supply are addressed promptly
The Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) has recommended that the state government establish a single-window mechanism within the Department of Drinking Water (DDW) to handle all complaints related to water shortages, reducing delays in resolution caused by residents having to approach multiple government departments.
The recommendation came while disposing of a complaint concerning an over-month-long water shortage faced by residents of Lakeside Residency, Arpora. After the department produced documents showing that the issue had been resolved, the Commission observed that the matter had been unnecessarily delayed as consumers were required to approach different departments before their grievance could be addressed.
In this particular case, the delay in resolving the water crisis was because the residents were made to approach multiple departments. In the interim, residents had to pay for private water tankers. Several complaints had allegedly been filed regarding disruption in water supply, but reportedly there was no positive response from the authorities, who asked the consumers to obtain permission from another department to cut the road, which was said to be the answer to getting the issue redressed. They had to approach the PWD for road cutting, for which several documents had to be produced.
To prevent similar hardships in the future, the Commission recommended that the government evolve a mechanism whereby the Department of Drinking Water functions as the sole agency for receiving complaints and coordinating all related formalities, including acceptance of payments for road cutting wherever required. “The consumers should be able to approach only the Department of Drinking Water, which shall be the sole agency for receiving complaints,” the Commission stated, emphasising that such a system would ensure faster and more efficient redressal of water supply issues. The GHRC has directed that copies of its order be forwarded to the Chief Secretary, the Department of Drinking Water and other authorities concerned, calling for their comments and details of the action taken or proposed to be taken within 60 days, on or before September 30. Hopefully, the Chief Secretary and DDW will respond positively with a better pro-citizen initiative.
The GHRC needs to be complimented for recommending to the government that DDW be designated as the sole agency for receiving complaints and coordinating all related formalities, including acceptance of payments for road cutting, wherever required. It has taken suomotu cognisance of several media reports highlighting the suffering of citizens on various issues, including water supply.
Streamlining such bureaucratic processes that make the ordinary citizen run in circles – from one department to another – is most important. The government boasts of undertaking ease of doing business, even as the investor may not fully agree with it. In an era dominated by technology, the common man struggles when his basic services are badly hit. The departments concerned must realise that it is their duty to provide citizens with basic amenities. There may be instances where departments at the local level feel that permissions are required from other government agencies and they can complete the work, but due to a lack of circulars or instructions from their HoDs, they may be helpless. One cannot always blame officials at the lower rung of the system. They could be pulled up by their seniors for “not following the protocol”. It is high time the government initiated a citizen-centric model to address public grievances, supported by digital workflow. The government must review all procedures set by citizen-oriented departments and agencies and ensure they are streamlined so that consumers do not suffer. The public service delivery system has to be streamlined, irrespective of the cost.
