Is Pakistan Citizens Portal initiative becoming counterproductive?

Islamabad -- Pakistan Citizens Portal is failing largely because of indifferent approach of civil servants to ensure strict monitoring and evaluation for a meaningful service delivery.

The Citizens Portal, launched last year by Prime Minister as a federal government initiative for the public good might be proving an effective tool for the redressal of public complaints, its performance in the Land and Revenue category of service delivery groups is much to be desired.

Public complaints falling under this category are being left out to the mercy of Allah Almighty especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa wherein officials are daringly flouting Prime Minister's directives issued on October 12.

In the absence of any effective monitoring and evaluation mechanism, Citizens Portal is fast becoming a scandalous rather than delivering a meaningful service to the complainants.

A cursory research of the service being provided to the public through the Citizens Portal revealed that a complaint code: KP170819-4159928 lodged on the Portal seeking demarcation of a distributed inherited land in August this year and reopened on October 13 by the Prime Minister Office, is still hanging in balance without establishing its lawful boundaries.

Despite devoting time and resources on running from pillar to post for relief, the complaint ended up with a statement taken from him by senior officials of the district administration with mutually agreed timeframe till 31 December 2019, no tangible progress is reported.

The complainant is being persuaded to accept whatever they have done so far in order to cover up their indifference towards granting a meaningful relief or service delivered to the complainant.

Amazingly, the complainant while following a lawful course of action had filed application for lawful demarcation of his land to the Deputy Commissioner Haripur on January 23 directing the Tehsildar for further action who then deputed his subordinate staff on April 4 this year. In between this period the complainant made exhausted in all respects.

The entire effort made so far by the subordinate staff had left the complainant in lurch because of more complications to resolve the problem.

What the duty officials have done is that they have not lawfully measured the lands in the name of the complainant as per their...