TEMPERS flared at Bahrain’s biggest municipal council following claims that services offered to citizens’ were slow and sometimes requests for assistance were ignored.
Northern Municipal councillors say they are embarrassed by the number of complaints they receive from members of the public ... but a top official blasted back saying staff members were working diligently and felt underappreciated.
“I receive countless calls from citizens just complaining about these services which are their right and they aren’t getting them from the municipality,” claimed technical committee chairman Abdullah Al Qubaisi, who added that a delay in providing services was evident despite many being transferred online.
“I want detailed statistics about my constituency because I’m the one facing the citizens and this way I can clear my conscience.
“It’s embarrassing to have to call the director general when there are employees whose job it is to answer these enquiries. Why should we have to pull strings?”
Meanwhile, council chairman Ahmed Al Kooheji stated that after conducting a field visit to constituency nine (Hamad Town – Western part from roundabout four to 13) a long line of citizens were waiting for garbage bag rolls from the municipality.
He called for no less than six self-dispensing garbage bag devices to be installed across the Northern Governorate and highlighted that employees should be more accessible ‘as citizens shouldn’t have to go through councillors to get services done’.
Northern Municipality director general Lamya Al Fadhala hit back saying no efforts were being spared to ensure ‘top quality services’ were provided to citizens.
She highlighted that the Northern Municipality receives the highest number of requests with employees sparing ‘no efforts’ to reach all those concerned.
“We have a drive-through in Hamad Town and around 300 cars go through on a daily basis. More than 2,000 garbage bag rolls are handed out each day,” she told councillors.
“Our employees aren’t allowed to use their phones when they have people in their offices because we are hoping to streamline services from 8am to noon.
“Then from noon to 3pm they tackle online requests and, don’t forget, we are undergoing extraordinary circumstances and we need to come together in order to provide the best services.
“Each of our employees are doing the work of 10 and this isn’t an easy task yet they are sparing no efforts to ensure the perfect services are provided.
“I will provide detailed statistics to prove how many requests have been tackled by our employees who are hard-working yet they aren’t acknowledged and pressured further. They need to be appreciated.”
reem@gdn.com.bh
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