PESHAWAR, April 10: The official website of the NWFP government – developed and updated by its information technology department – is not up-to-date and lacks important information about Zakat, Ushr, Social Welfare and Women’s Development departments.
The website, which is supposedly updated daily, has no information regarding the government’s activities relating to social welfare and women’s development.
The Zakat, Ushr, Social Welfare and Women’s Development Department (http://www. nwfp.gov.pk/Zakat/Department) only introduces the Zakat department and speaks only of its aims and functions. It has no information about the activities of the Social Welfare and Women Development departments.
“The website is usually updated after every two or three days and if some department provides us with new information we do upload it. It is not our fault if something is missing from it,” said an official of the IT department, which is responsible for developing, maintaining and updating the NWFP government website.
Social Welfare and Women’s Development departments have been mentioned only once in the existing organisational structure section. However, there are no details about the department and its recent activities.
The website also gives details about the achievements and annual reports of the Zakat department and provides information regarding the Zakat Ordinance.
The website of the provincial government depicts apathy of the government towards the Women’s Development department and its attitude towards issues concerning women, said one Internet user after visiting the website.
An IT department official said: “There is lack of coordination between the IT department and others. Departments sometimes don’t send us the latest information despite repeated requests.”
The secretaries of the IT department and Zakat, Ushr, Social Welfare and Women’s Development departments could not be contacted despite repeated efforts.
Provincial Women’s Development Minister Kashif Azam Chishti, who was aware of the NWFP government website, surprisingly did not know that issues pertaining to his department were being neglected.
He said: “I think nobody has visited the website so far. That is why we have not received any complaints about the non-availability of information on the Women’s Development Department at the website.”
Source: Dawn
Date:4/11/2007
