State govt offices to supply feedback forms to visitors, vie for rating from 1-5 for services rendered

Kolhapur: The Maharashtra govt has instructed all its public offices to make a feedback form available to visitors going ahead, via which they would be able to rate govt services on a scale of 1 to 5. The draft of this form has already been shared with the govt offices. It has five categories under which visitors can rate the govt office concerned. These include cleanliness and other facilities for visitors, whether visitors are happy with the service, how the officers behaved, overall experience at the govt office, and response to the govt schemes implemented through the state departments. Instructions have further been given to install a feedback deposit box in each office, which will remain locked and be opened only on the fifth working day of every month. The respective head of department (HoD) is authorised to open the box and read the ratings and their analysis in front of officers and public present at the time. The HoD must also ensure necessary changes in the system to get good ratings in the next month's cycle. A notification issued by the state general administration department (GAD) on Feb 4 read, "Categorise the feedback into two — that which can be immediately implemented and that which requires a policy decision or rules. The HoD must immediately implement suggestions that are practical and refer rules- or policy-related suggestions to higher-ups, marking a copy to the GAD secretary so that decisions can be taken at the govt level." Hoping that the new system will be taken seriously on-ground, Dilip Desai, a Kolhapur-based activist, said, "When common people visit govt offices, one hardly ever finds the relevant official at their desk. Top officials rarely spare time to meet visitors. Secondly, citizens fail to get their files processed in a timely manner. The Right to Services (RTS) Act is merely on paper. It is only special individuals with contacts, like politicians and contractors, to whom officials give ample attention. The common person also wants their service on time." Commenting on the development, a senior revenue department official requested anonymity and said, "We already have complaint or suggestion boxes at govt offices, where people can drop off their views. The new system focuses on building trust with the visitor arriving for govt-related work, such as how they are treated, seating facilities, waiting period, and more. The system will work on self-evaluation, rather than penalising anyone for negative feedback. The sectors that require some positive changes can then be worked out."