Solved Complaints
Action taken on complaints, but the efficiency of the government departments still remains in question
Whereas, DFO MC Shimla and HPWD took appropriate actions on the complaints, DSP traffic police takes more than a month to even reply to our complaint.
Shimla- As a motivation, small though, some of our complaints which HW had submitted to the DFO MC Shimla,HPWD and DSP traffic police, pertaining to two different grievances, has been considered and we saw some action on their part.
DFO MC Shimla vested the Sumerhill ward-5, which HW had mentioned in the complaint submitted on 13/07/2012 regarding the inappropriate garbage disposal on the part of the locals, and imposed a penalty of
Rs-500 on the offenders and warned them against the repetition of the same malpractice in the future.
In a similar grievance, submitted to HPWD regarding the mishaps that took place due to the absence of any sort of railing or parapets near Gurudwara, old bus stand, were also considered and iron railings were put on the spots to avert future mishaps.
However, DSP traffic police Shimla did not responded to our first two complaints, whichwe submitted regarding the misuse of official powers by the VIPs and the Shimla police itself. HW has sent photographs showing the police and the government vehicles parked in no parking zones frequently. When we repeatedly made complaints along with the photographs showing the violation of the rules and demanded challans of these particular vehicles, we received the following response:
Inquired in to the matter has been conducted by Dysp Traffic, Shimla. During enquiry it is intimated that there are lots of No Parking Zone in Shimla City. The Vehicle parked in No Parking Zone has been Challaned by Police. During, enquiry no Police Vehicle has been found in No Parking Zone. The Police have also Challaned 1559 Vehicle during month of June 2012. The In charge Police Traffic is also directed by Dysp traffic to continue the action against defaulters in future.
We are not sure whether the DSP traffic police couldn’t understand what we exactly wrote to him or the police department was avoiding any action against the vehicles with red light parked in the no parking zone, which were visible as much clear as they could be in the photographs we had sent. For such a small response, the DSP traffic police took a time of more than a month and that too when we kept complaining repeatedly. However, our complaint still remained, therefore, we continued to ask for the penalties on the those government vehicles which were caught literally showing disrespect to the boards saying ‘No Parking’.
As a miracle, HW received another response saying:
The matter was sent to Dy.SP Traffic, Shimla. He has intimated that the Police had Challaned 1559 Vehicles during month of June 2012 and there is no rule in M.V Act to provide the copies of Challan other than to violator. Moreover, the entry of Challans is not made out in the computer, so copies of Challans which is in large quantity in the month of June 2012 i.e 1559 cannot provided
Once again we received a reply that doesn’t mention any action against the specified vehicles we had mentioned in our complaints. Thus, HW again asked the department regarding our complaint and finally, we received a reply which told us that the the vehicles we had mentioned with photographs couldn’t be challaned at the present stage and just the directions could be passed to the concerned departments.Regarding the police vehicles, we received a justifiable reply that said:
With respect to Police Station vehicles, and patrol vehicles it is submitted that it is impossible to park the vehicles at authorized parking places during L&O duties as these vehicles are required where the situation demands for immediate response.
However, our motive behind the continuous complaints was not only limited to just imposing penalties on the violators based on the photographs, but to remind the departments regarding the biases displayed in executing their duties. Moreover, the government departments should improve their efficiency. What level of responsible behavior towards their duties, efficiency in performing the action and in being answerable to the public these government offices display when they take months to even respond to the complaints and that too when they are poked repeatedly.
HW is not against any government department or the political groups but, we just desireto help them by throwing light on the grievances of the public, issues pertaining to the public welfare and the violations of rules by both, the public and the government officials. These complaints might sound tiny against the huge scams and sensational issues covered by the mainstream electronic and print media, but for a common man, these are the issues that affect him and are relevant.
What’s more praiseworthy is that the most of the complaints and photographs were sent by our readers and the members, who comes from the same society as we all do. Therefore, HW requests all our readers to help us highlight any issue pertaining to the welfare of public, violations of the laws, and any unethical act on the part of the public or the government departments, so that a healthy society could be formed and maintained through collective efforts.
SHIMLA- Yesterday, an HW reader posted a couple of pictures showing damaged footpath inside Old ISBT Shimla Tunnel, where the complainer claimed “Last evening, my aunt, a senior citizen, stumbled into the drain while walking on the footpath inside Shimla’s Old ISBT tunnel.”
Read Complete Text: Shimla’s Old ISBT tunnel not safe for pedestrians
We were surprised to see that at evening the repair work was in progress. We are posting some pictures from the spot as the repair going on. We hope, it’ll be fixed completely in a couple of days.
However, the drains on the both sides of the road inside the tunnel are uncovered and are mostly filled with accumulated waste water, sewage and garbage. That’s in the middle of the city. We don’t think that this trouble will be attended presently.
That’s because the officials and politicians sitting on official chair are vision-less to such an extent that they can’t even get Shimla city a proper drainage system. So, it’ll be ridiculous to expect them to attend to these issues themselves.
Anyway, we would like to thank the reader, who is also a responsible and active member of the society, for taking the pain to post a complaint with HW. This action of his/her will benefit thousands of citizens who daily use this footpath.
We expect our readers and members to speak for rest of people around them. A little pain to report such public grievance is something that can be done on the go as you come across them. All you have to do is to click a couple of photos with any kind of mobile camera you got with you and post them in HW’s UrNews section that is dedicated to reader submissions or mail it on editor[at]himachalwatcher.com.
We are really sorry for those who think it’s a waste time to take this much pain to highlight such issues. No nation or society can improve and develop without the contribution of the people, and here, such people are rare.
Shimla has been crying for repair of the roads, but the public didn’t get more than half-hearted patchwork at some of the very selective roads until the election time was here. The only roads which are regularly maintained are the roads which are used daily by VIP officials, like the Chota Shimla road or the restricted Vidhan Sabha to Boileauganj road. Rest is just an election bait.
SHIMLA- Finally, the frogs did show up in the elections season. The roads in Shimla are looking good again. Even the worst and hopeless wards benefited from the occasion of assembly polls. Perhaps, the poorest road condition in the city prevailed in the Summerhill ward under the guidance of it’s respected Councillor. But now, the main roads looks as good as new.
HW congratulates and offer special wishes to the victims of Summerhill ward for they got rid of the shaking roller coaster rides. Take a look at the image showing a comparison of the tarred road and the earlier condition of the same.
We aren’t sure for how long, but for now, the roads are going to be in a perfect condition. Rest, the rainy season will conform the quality of the work done.
The Govt. would tell you that it’s not about elections; rather, it’s the suitable weather and appropriate temperature. The match with election timing is just a co-incident. The tarring needs warm temperature, and this is the reason that there was so much delay in tarring the roads. If you ask the Govt. departments why they didn’t do it earlier or why there was so much delay, then they would convince you using the vocabulary they crammed from the Govt. encyclopedia of excuses. Mostly, the phrases ‘insufficient funds’ and ‘bad weather’ are sufficient to officially dispose off the public complaints submitted in written or through online complaint portals.
But, we wonder,the Govt. didn’t find even a single day to repair a couple of KMs long road, which remained in extremely poor condition for over past five years.
However, Shimla MC and the respected Summerhill ward Councillor, Diksha Thakur, did find time for renaming and preparing for the installation of a statue Shaheed Sardar Bhagat Singh at the Summerhill Chowk. We guess, it’ll show up very soon now.
However, just a couple of weeks before the polling date, the metalling work is run in an emergency mode at various parts of the city. The labor and many crawling machines could be seen working day- night. This emergency action caused traffic troubles for the public as some roads were closed completely for tarring job without proper traffic management.
Earlier, Shimla kept crying do get the roads repaired, but they didn’t get more than half-hearted patchwork at some very selective roads. The only roads which are regularly maintained are the roads which are used daily by VIP officials, like the Chota Shimla road or the restricted Vidhan Sabha to Boileauganj road. Even the smallest of ditches will be taken care of on such roads.
HW kept fighting for long, but the insolence of these representatives, including the Chief Minister himself, was far more harder to breach than we had expected. It might have taken them decades to master such a higher stage of consciousness where no public grievance or the unrest in people’s voice is audible to them. Of course, the encouragement did come from the silence of the public, which can’t be ignored. They did their best to tolerate the incompetent political leaders, who lack interest in any sort of public service at all.
The tarring work always makes a good bait in the fishing season (election time), which isn’t supposed to be wasted before time. It must be thrown like pieces of crumbs to starving rats at the last moment, and they find them no less than bliss after all that long suffering and wait for any kind of relief.
But, why the Govt.’s excuses should be of public’s concern as that of public aren’t for the Govt. while it extracts taxes from public regardless to people’s limitations or circumstances? If the Govt. is being paid taxes on time, why does it fail to deliver timely service?
If the Govt. and the heads of its concern departments are overwhelmed by the burden of public service, then their resignation would be the right thing to do. Let someone more capable and willing candidate find solutions to the limitations which prohibit the flow of public services.
As a positive step, finally, Shimla MC acted on HW’s complaint and placed new safety railings in Summerhill ward, near MP Dhani Ram Shandil’s house to be specific. We wish, we could appreciate the action, but unfortunately, the speed with which MC initiated the action is very poor and the attitude is very peculiar like any stereotype Indian Govt Office . There had been a battle of articles and complaints with the insolent Shimla MC for about two years. Other than this, same drama continues regarding the roads in Summehill ward, which are still in ruins. Click here to take look how efficient our MC and ward councilors are. The first thread of this complaint dates back to 2012, and we aren’t really surprised why Indian system doesn’t work.
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