The delay in service delivery in government offices is frustrating and not unusual. However, my recent experience at a government office caught me off guard. I visited the General Post Office (GPO) situated at Dillibazar to enquire about the delivery of my post.

Upon reaching there, the reference number was tracked, and I was asked to meet the assigned delivery man for details. The respective delivery man was unavailable, so, upon request, despite being tied up, another employee helped me out in checking the delivery detail from the logbook. To obtain a copy of the delivery detail, I needed to use email and also get documents printed and Xerox-ed. The availability of these facilities inside the GPO premises facilitated my work. Most importantly, the concerned department head was supportive in ensuring quick service delivery. My work was completed within a few minutes which otherwise would have taken a couple of hours or maybe another day.

Generally, in most government offices, the unavailability of certain staff leads to ‘come later’, ‘long hours of waiting’ or ‘come another day’. Not having certain information would require you to travel back and forth; and to get a print or copy of a document, one has to leave the premises to search the facility nearby. Service seekers most often face delays in government offices for various reasons. Undoubtedly, the most common reason is the lack of office equipment within the premises. Most government offices rely on outside shops for photocopy and printing services. In addition to it, the unavailability and unwillingness of the government employee to go for these services only hinders timely service delivery.

For most government offices, photocopy and printing is done outside the premises. It not only causes slowdown of service delivery but also promotes bribery. The document is taken outside the premises by the government employee, who often demands a fee from service seekers.

The availability of necessary equipment and the willingness of the government employees have a lot to do with effective and quality service delivery. The government should plan action to equip the premises of government offices and make these basic facilities convenient for service seekers. This would not only increase swiftness and simplify service delivery but also ensure the safety of documents and help in curbing bribery in government offices.