Although the government claims to be servive-oriented towards the people, there are practical gaps at the lower end of the spectrum; as there is hardly any energy left after providing exclusive and pre-vileged services to the top tiers of the society. Still the mega-of-fenders remain untouched. Our religion does not believe in untouchability. but of course it is not a religious issue. It has been raised here to serve as a pointer: be religious in the performance of official and public duties.

• The regulators are silent about rent control, especially in the big cities. In Calcutta, West Bengal, for example, the 30-Sar old House Control Regs are ing updated, to plug the modern loop-holes. Here, the government department concerned do not tell the tenants what they are doing. Where is transparency?

Th# landlords do not provide official receipt in official format. The government is silent on the issue. The landlords raise the rent every second year on one plea of another. No reaction from the monitoring agencies. Why hide the inspection teams?

• The doctors' fees chart is not being officially publicised for public information. The rate charges for the 'Professors'. MBBA and the Diploma holders are separate in both the areas: consultation at the clinic, and home visits. But what are these rates, and how to check overcharging? On the road behind the Geneva Camp in Moham-madpur, I saw a signboard at a private medical clinic stating the doctor's consultation fee only Tk 25. What are the rates for quacks? The answer is zero, because the number of quacks should also be zero.

• The retail prices of consumer goods are raised in the name of additional or new VAT and Supplementary duties, but these are not mentioned on the wrapper of the packing. Perishable packed food products do not print the expiry date or the contact address. The Health services are Supplementary or Complementary?

• The inspectors are invisible to the public. Why they are not issued uniforms, a standard international practice. There are regulations, but it is not en-

Service-oriented Governance

Abul M Ahmad

forced" by the government and other autonoqious agencies. In that case, the police, the customs and immigration officials need not wear uniform, and perform their duties anonymously in civilian dress. Are we trying to be original?!

* Most of the sweetmeat are adulterated. The government do not eat sweetmeat.

• Prosecutions by the monitoring and inspection agencies are neither published nor publicised periodically. The officials silence, means the right to information is denied to the public. The salary structure of inspectors may be reviewed: whether to reduce the basic pay • and increase the allowance per prosecution (not show-cause notice). Then they will work (we have unlimited human resources and jobless roaming about).

• I renewed the annual rental of our Post Box Number at the Dhaka GPO. No official money receipt was issued. How come?

• The private medical clinics and hospitals do not show in the bill the government levies separately in the break-up of charges. •

* "When I pay the monthly electric bill (self-reading meter) at the bank, the counter does not check the details of the payment. On enquiry I was told that it was not their job. Fine, but announce it. I once went to the local Electric office (DESA) for some enquiry. Most of the officials on duty were not at their Seats.

Q: What is the human systems loss in the government service? Some commission may be entrusted with the job. Later, the system loss in this commission may be checked up!

The reader can compile more examples. There is nothing new in what has been pointed out above. The point is why these examples have to be pointed out. Good governance is not a complicated business:

Perform one's duties, and be prepared to bear the consequences of the entailed responsibility. Monitor the services; and mete out deterrent punishment (counteract with a reward system). No short-cut. no nepotism.

Update the rules from time to time.