One curse that the people of Manipur have been forced to live with all these years is the extremely sloppy services that are dished out by the public utility institutions such as banks, the post office etc etc.

A visit to the bank, especially the main branch of the State Bank of India at MG Avenue can be a nightmarish experience and one has to be ready to stand in the queue for hours on end.

Whether it is to withdraw money or deposit the same or whether to get a cheque or get it encashed or for any other related work, a visit to the bank, especially at the main branch of the SBI can be a harrowing time.

Making things worse is the frequent break down of the computer networking system of the bank and one can well understand the frustration of the people. It is not only a question of a long and tiring wait but also a question of losing precious hours.

Such things can happen only in a place like Manipur and we are a bit surprised to see that no loud complaint has been raised so far given the penchant of the people of this State to impose a bandh or a general strike at the drop of the hat or on the most flimsy of grounds.

The post office is another nightmare.

Whether it is to send a speed post or a telegraphic money order or parcel or to pay the telephone bills, one has to be ready to face the ordeal and plan one's day well in advance.

Standing for long hours at the queue which does not seem to move at all can be a frustrating experience and this is what most people have to face whenever they go to the post office for any work.

It is not only the inconveniences that one has to face on visiting the post office, but it is also a question of coping with the extremely inefficient service of this institution.

As a newspaper house, we have received numerous complaints about how intending candidates for some competitive examination had to miss the bus because the postman had failed to deliver the documents on time.

To top the depressing scenario that we experience and see all around, there is just no mechanism in place for the clients to lodge their complaints. Verbal complaints at the counters are almost always ignored.

Clients are seen as some entities who need to beg for the attention of the employees of the institution in question. Why this is so is the question that the public must raise now.

No people or no place would tolerate the inefficiency that we see in some of the public utility services in Manipur.

That this is happening in this age when the world has become a global village, when everything is moving at break neck speed and when everything is a click of the mouse away is something we find hard to digest.

As consumers, as clients the people of Manipur need to raise their voice and demand better services.

And no there can be no excuse on this point. The service that we receive at the banks or the post office has nothing to with the political and social upheavals that Manipur is presently passing through.

It is just a question of paying more attention to the needs of the people for whom the public utility institutions were set up in the first place.

Or is the concept of customer care something which cannot be applied to Manipur ?

Only the people manning these institutions can provide the answer.