Darchula, Aug 14: The renew of social security beneficiaries in several wards of Shailyasikhar municipality in Darchula district has been adversely affected due to absence of internet connectivity, people’s representatives reported.
The problem occurred particularly after the new provision put in place by government mandating biometric verification of beneficiaries, including senior citizens for renewing social security.
The local ward officers in the municipality have been struggling to provide services in the absence of reliable internet connectivity.
“Verification of biometric is impossible without internet,” said Sher Singh Khadayat, secretary of the ward no 1 in the municipality.
He shared, “Senior citizens visit the ward office hoping to renew their social security allowance but due to connectivity issue, we are unable to serve them.”
“On one hand, the ward office has been entrusted with responsibilities of another ward. On the other, there is no internet. The service-seekers only complain that we are not rendering them service. The local government also seems to be indifferent towards this issue,” bemoaned Khadayat.
Bhupendra Prasad Joshi, secretary of ward no 7, echoed similar concerns. He shared that the beneficiaries return home empty-handed. “We lack not only internet but also laptop and computers. People wait hours queuing only to leave disappointed,” he added.
Poor network for cellular phone has remained another pesky issue facing both the service providers and service-seekers here. “The condition of mobile network is also pathetic. We have to hang mobile phone up high in outdoor to receive mobile network,” he explained.
He claimed that the service delivery would be only effective after having computers, laptops and reliable internet service.
The ward office last year used mobile data for correspondence and for other communication related works. However, the amount (Rs 5,000) spent for using mobile data was never reimbursed and was marked as arrears instead.
“Under such circumstances, how can we conduct biometric verification?” he questioned. According to him, mobile data does not work well in ward no 4, 5, 7 and 8 of the Municipality.
People in the other wards are experiencing glitch in availing network. Much to the dismay of the ward office staffers, the mobile network does not reach inside the ward office.
He urged the local government to well equip the ward offices with computer, laptops and internet connectivity for effective service delivery.
Manorath Prasad Bhatta, secretary of ward no 2, admitted they have not been able to provide services on time due to lack of internet. “When elderly people make effort to visit office, we are forced to return them without providing services,” he grieved.
Rajmati Khadayat, MIS Operator at the municipality, confirmed the absence of mobile data in several wards, particularly in 4, 5, 7 and 8. “No function is possible without internet at this age. Hence, to make ward’s work more effective and upload the biometric details of beneficiaries, internet access and laptop should be provided immediately.
Otherwise, the senior citizens will be deprived of social security allowance,” Khadayat cautioned. Bhojraj Bhatta, Information Officer at the municipality, said that he has repeatedly raised the issue regarding internet problem to the concerned authority but to no avail.
According to him, problems relating to development of physical infrastructures are gradually being addressed, lack of internet; computer and laptop, however, still persists.
He pledged to draw the attention of the local government towards this issue in the upcoming executive’s meeting. Mayor Bijay Singh Dhami said that they had requested Nepal Telecom to resolve the internet issue but the problem is still prevailing.
“The municipality is not in position to expand fiber internet to all wards. It is very costly,” he explained, adding that private internet service is also expensive.
The municipality is currently seeking alternative to reliable and cost-effective internet service, he said. Mayor Dhami, however, confessed his ignorance about the lack of laptop and computers in ward offices.
He vowed to dispatch laptops immediately. He viewed that this issue could be addressed by the ward office’s employees themselves by purchasing the equipment from operating cost of the office. #nepal #Shailyasikhar #rss
