SHEHRI-CBE,
in its ongoing efforts to work for the benefit
of the citizens, starts a new public service facility.
From articles in the newspapers, by word of
mouth, and organizational referrals, citizen's from all over Karachi know
that they can come to SHEHRI for assistance in airing their grievances
with government, obtaining legal action on a problem, or receiving advice
on how best to mediate a conflict. Yet often times, they do not receive as
much attention as would be desirable because the time of SHEHRI volunteers
is divided amongst so many projects and commitments. How entering its
eleventh year of practice, SHEHRI realizes its time to institutionalize
the knowledge and experience it has collected in facilitating complaints
so that we can better serve our fellow citizens and create more lasting
change in the work we do.
Vision & Objectives
We have now created ( since October 2001 )
a citizens help desk in our office whose only responsibility is to
hear citizen complaints. It operates very much like a legal clinic. It
equip citizens with proper information and resources to pursue
complaints, and connects them with appropriate agency or action to achieve
a favorable agency or action to achieve favorable outcome. SHEHRI members
and staff, man the desk. Staff members cultivate good
communication relationships with government agencies, media sources, NGOs
and the business community. The citizen help desk creates a stronger
and more transparent communication channel between the public and the
government and at the same time enhance SHEHRI's image as a hard-working,
determined, citizen's advocate.
The Help Desk works to assist in the redressal of complaints from citizens on issues, related to:
Illegal / unauthorized encroachments in
residential premises, misuse of residential plots for commercial purposes,
misuse of amenity plots, traffic parking, roads, water supply, electricity
services, sewerage, solid waste management, illegal tree cutting etc.
Complaint Registration forms are available
at SHEHRI-CBE
office or on the internet.
Method
SHEHRI
has established a public service
counter in its office equipped with one phone line, a computer, a laser
printer and a small copier. Experienced SHEHRI members / staff, manages
the counter from the hour of 9 a.m to 5 p.m ( except Friday ). SHEHRI
has
also created a sample complaint letters that can be used as templates for
citizens, depending upon the nature of the problem. SHEHRI log complaints
daily, and create files on ongoing or major conflicts. The counter
contacts media sources if public pressure is needed or to highlight Citizen
Desk achievements. The desk also prominently displays the posters
SHEHRI created on the issues of good governance and voter education. The
Citizen Help Desk regularly submits to the editorial section /
letters to the editor of local papers to increase awareness of its
services, publicizes the nature of citizen complaints that it receives, and
responds to articles on the subjects that usually go unanswered by
government.
The Citizen Help Desk is an innovative
and dynamic place that can act as a pressure group and a pressure relief
value. The work done in this project is carefully monitored by the
Citizen Help Desk to ensure efficiency and proper documentation of all
cases.
Names of members who are operating and
assisting citizens in solving their issues include - Sarwar Khalid (
Operations Manager / Full Time ), Dr. Syed Raza Ali Gardezi, Amber Alibhai, Roland deSouza, Hanif Sattar
and Sameer Hamid Dodhy ( Volunteers / Part Time )
Please
download the following form
for any complaint you want to register.