Society
Govt should take public complaints seriously: official
By Zheng Caixiong and Mo Xuan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-02 07:36
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'Harsh and unreasonable' attitudes strongly criticized
GUANGZHOU: A senior Party official yesterday strongly criticized some government departments for not taking public complaints seriously, saying it was a major reason for the increasing number of mass incidents in the province.
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Zhang particularly lashed out at the city's judicial officials who are "constantly rude to residents" with grievances.
"They are shirking responsibilities. They refuse to address the issues troubling the residents and never offer any explanation," Zhang said.
Several residents have described the judicial officials' attitude as "harsh and unreasonable", he said.
Zhang, who is also a deputy to the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, made the remarks during a panel discussion at the ongoing third session of the 10th Guangdong Provincial People's Congress in Guangzhou.
"Residents are bound to be angry. They are bound to visit higher authorities to voice their grievances if they are not heard at the lower level," Zhang said.
"Are you saying the residents have no reason to protest when they suddenly learn that a new electricity substation, a garbage incinerator or a highway will soon be constructed near their homes?" he asked.
Most residents are never told that such projects are planned in the areas before they purchase a house there, Zhang said.
"I think most residents are understanding and reasonable. Only a handful of them are really unreasonable," he added.
Zhang urged relevant departments to make efforts to improve their service and make their work more transparent in the coming months.
"Government officials should imagine themselves in the residents' position before they bulldoze people's houses to make way for industrial and real estate projects," he said.
Cai Lihui, a professor at the Guangzhou-based Sun Yatsen University, said a people's government should take a stand for its citizens and protect their legal interests.
"Zhang's criticism is an active way to improve the government's service," Cai told China Daily.
"More than 90 percent of the mass protests occur when government departments have failed to act," Cai said.
Chen Rongping, a researcher from the Guangdong Branch of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said relevant government departments should make their new policies and plans public and open more channels for residents to express their views and suggestions before implementation.
"If the government respects public opinion, the public will respect the government," Chen said.
Wu Zhaomin, a white-collar worker in the city's Haizhu district, said the government should increase its work efficiency and better serve taxpayers.
"I complained about noise from a construction site near my house to the city's environmental protection department and the Chengguan, (urban management), several months ago. I have yet to hear from any of them," he said.
