As things stand now, Nepal’s public offices are notorious for non-performance, pathetic service-delivery, and institutionalized corruption, among others. Unless you are ‘well-connected’ or know ‘someone’ in these offices – the afno manchhe (nepotism/favoritism) phenomenon as Dor Bahadur Bista so correctly pointed out in his magnum opus Fatalism and Development – getting your work done without doling out bribes is almost next to impossible. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to state that most Nepali public offices are antonyms of efficiency. For a quick reality check, just visit any government office in the country at this time of the year and you will in all likelihood find the staff there whiling away their time basking in the sun rather than working on their assigned tasks.
While the move to install CCTVs might curb some of these unhealthy practices and tendencies, it is a foregone conclusion that it is not a foolproof solution. Employees will eventually find out ways to beat the system. The solution, therefore, is to change the mindset of government staff through proper orientation, apt incentives – monetary or otherwise – appropriate training as well as by instiling fear of prompt punishment. The problem, at present, is that too few competent Nepalis opt to be on the payrolls of the government. Hence, the foremost drive should be on making government jobs attractive so that able and skillful manpower with the right attitude are drawn to it.
Last but not the least, now that the government has decided to set up CCTVs, it must ensure that it is making optimum use of it. In Nepal, more often than not, we come up with brilliant plans and rules but flounder because we seldom keep tab of the progress or lack of it thereof. This time around, let’s do things differently. Let’s ensure that the CCTVs are kept in top condition and that the videos are used as proof to take action against defaulters if and when that happens.
Related story
Desperate search for missing girls as nearly 80 dead in Texas f...
