In the ministry, Dadhiram Sapkota is fully occupied in front of the computer. Dadhiram is the office assistant and his relationship with computers is in its early days when both are still discovering the qualities of the other. It’s quite a challenge, he thinks as he grasps the mouse and rolls it up and down. On the screen, the cursor reciprocates which pleases him. Cautiously, he taps the keyboard with his two index fingers.

Just a short week ago, this front office area was like a fish market alive with people queueing, or sometimes preferring not to queue, for attention. Today, there’s nobody in line. It’s become eerily quiet, a major contrast to the days when he’d been busily receiving physical letters and documents from the people in line, registering them, filing them in boxes and making notes in enormous register books.

Dadhiram likes the new Office Automation System, even if he is still a bit slow using it.

“I know writing on paper and filing it is easier and faster, because that’s what I’m used to. But soon I’ll be used to this new system too,” he says.

He keeps his eye on the screen as he speaks, and enters a few more files into the system. Dadhiram leans back. “See! Half the work’s done already. And no lines of people wanting my attention. Don’t stand in line. Go online.”

About the project:

Province and Local Government Support Programme (PLGSP) is a Government of Nepal (GON) programme jointly financed by GON and four development partners: the United Kingdom, European Union, Norway and Switzerland. Executed by the Ministry since 2019, the Programme focuses on developing capacity of the federal, provincial and local governments under the new federal structure.