Daily Times

LAHORE: Reportedly, the Punjab Shehar-e-Khamoshan Authority (PSKA) has not activated the helpline for its graveyards. The helpline was to be activated along with the construction of the graveyards; however, while three graveyards have been constructed and the fourth one is be operational soon in Multan the helpline remains inactivated, Daily Times sources added. As of now, queries and information regarding burial services and graveyards are being made through the mobile numbers assigned to each officer on the location of the graveyard as per the advertisement of the PSKA on the social media portals of the Chief Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit (SRU).

Reportedly, mobile numbers are not as effective as a full-time helpline as mobile networks have certain drawbacks: fluctuating signal availability, out-of-access areas, and inability of one person to attend 24/7 to queries. Daily Times sources further added that the tender for helpline was advertised in March, and work was to be awarded in the same month, but it has not been done so far. Delay in the activation of a helpline and lack of proper advertisement through social and print media has kept the public unaware of this important service.

On visiting the site and nearby locality of Lahore’s Shehar-e-Khamoshan, Daily Times learnt that although people wish to avail the services they do not have access to a number to contact and other details. Most of the underprivileged people living in and around the area expect information about the service through posters or banners, as they believe that would be effective to spread information about the services. Sources further added that because of the absence of a helpline and requisite publicity, there have been only about hundred burials in Lahore’s Shehar-e-Khamoshan, which was constructed in June 2017, and only one burial in Sargodha, which was opened last month.

An officer of Sargodha’s Shehar-e-Khamoshan remarked that due to lack of publicity, people obviously could not avail the services. He added that the people of the area are under the impression that the graveyard is not for the common people but has been constructed for the elite class or government officials. He said that he has made several calls to the heads of the PSKA and SRU for provision of publicity but there has been no response so far; lack of funds could be one reason.

An officer on the Faisalabad’s Shehar-e-Khamoshan site said that the opening of the graveyard is scheduled for next Saturday; a few banners have been placed near the University Road, Faisalabad to publicise the project to people. Both the officers are of the view that due to the absence of a proper helpline and publicity, most people are unaware of the project.

On being asked, Fatima Khan, an official of the Chief Minister’s SRU, said that due to some discrepancies the tender had to be re-advertised. “The process was stopped due to ban on tendering by the Election Commission, and that is one reason for the delay. Mobile phones have been given to the site officers until the helpline is activated. At present, three graveyards in Lahore, Sargodha and Faisalabad are functional, whereas the one in Multan is scheduled to be operational soon,” Ms Khan said. On a query about the website and information on social media, she remarked that all advertisement work for the PSKA is being run on the Chief Minister’s SRU Facebook page.

Saad Khan, another official of the Chief Minister’s SRU, said, “The facility of helpline was delayed as there were some discrepancies in the financial bids of the only two companies that appeared in the tender the OVEX and Ufone. The advertisement for retendering the Helpline has been sent to the Directorate General Public Relations, and it will be published soon.” On a query about the affect of ban on the tender, he, appearing to be in contradiction to his colleague, explained that the PSKA was an approved scheme and the ban was inapplicable on that. He said that the website is under process and a separate social media page has not been made so far as the SRU official page is being used.When queried about the matter, Salman Sufi, Director General SRU, said that the helpline is going to be functional in a month and a half after the construction of four or five graveyards. He added that the PSKA is a newly established body functioning with the staff of SRU as no hiring for the PSKA has been done so far.

Published in Daily Times, May 2^nd 2018.