Why has it become a problem?, Does the government courtyard have parking or not? | Xinchang | Courtyard

Recently, the government of Wagangzhai Township in Huaxian County, Henan Province, opened its courtyard to sun dry grain for farmers, which has received praise from many netizens. Many people say, "This is what the people's government does for the people."

It seems to have become a convention for government courtyards to be closed to the public. Many courtyards not only arrange security personnel to be on duty, but also strictly register information for outsiders. The government of Wagangzhai Township has vacated the courtyard for "open grain drying", which not only facilitates the drying of grain for farmers, but also maximizes and optimizes the utilization of resources in the idle space in the government courtyard, invisibly establishing a good image of government agencies and departments being friendly, convenient, and for the people.

In recent years, there have been increasing calls for government courtyards to be opened to the public. How is the degree of openness of government courtyards in various parts of Zhejiang? How do cadres and the masses view whether or not to open up? The reporter conducted an investigation into this.

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"The government compound is not suitable for opening up, is it?" When reporters asked some government officials if they agreed with the opening up of the government compound to the outside world, many people's first reaction was this rhetorical question.

At present, most government courtyards in our province have not yet been unconditionally open to the public. In some investigations and interviews, journalists have attempted to directly "break into" government courtyards. In most cases, they will be stopped by security personnel, requiring registration and explanation of their whereabouts. Some even need to confirm with officials inside the courtyards. If they only enter for a walk, it is generally not allowed.

Due to the cumbersome "admission" procedures, as well as the cold walls and strict security measures, many people feel that the government compound is too serious and lacks a sense of familiarity.

"Every time I pass by the government compound, I feel a bit mysterious and even intimidated," Mr. Zhang, a resident of Ningbo, told reporters. Last year, when he went to his district government for business, security personnel were outside the door, and it was too troublesome for officials to come and pick him up before entering.

"Not long ago, I went into the government compound to handle affairs, but the security guard didn't stop me and went in directly. Instead, I felt like I had done something bad." Ms. Hu, a resident of Hangzhou, also shared her experience of entering the compound with reporters. At that time, she entered a district government compound to collect materials, and the security personnel were busy with other tasks. She felt like she had missed some procedures. When she came out, she repeatedly explained to the security personnel where she had just gone, who she had found, and what she had done.

When it comes to the reasons why they do not agree with the opening of the courtyard to the outside world, the most talked about by cadres are due to considerations such as safety, confidentiality, and work environment.

"The opening of the government courtyard is not appropriate, there are security issues, and too many people coming will cause interference to our normal work." A staff member of the Propaganda Department of the Pinghu County Party Committee said that he clearly opposes the opening of the government courtyard to the public.

A staff member of the Cixi Municipal Party Committee also stated that units with service halls can be opened to the public, while those without service halls should not be opened to the outside world, otherwise it may cause some secrets to be leaked.

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"It's not that I want to park randomly, there's really no place to park. How about giving us your yard to park?" Mr. Li, a resident of Xinchang, didn't expect his joke to trigger a local government courtyard reform.

That was July 2019, when Mr. Li went to the urban area of Xinchang for a late night snack and parked his car in a no parking area. He was punished by administrative law enforcement personnel and felt quite unhappy about it.

"There are cars everywhere at night, where is there any parking space?" Mr. Li said, "Would you be willing to leave the yard of your unit empty for us to park?"

Mr. Li admitted that it was just a casual remark at the time, and he didn't expect that this sentence really caught the attention of the Xinchang County Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau.

"It's difficult to park at night, and there are calls from the public for the government courtyard to open parking. Can our unit conduct a pilot program to allow the public to park during off hours?" After the person in charge of the Xinchang County Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau proposed this idea, someone immediately expressed opposition. The person in charge asked, "Why can't the government courtyard be open to the public?"

Two days later, the Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau of Xinchang County posted a notice at the entrance, providing free parking spaces for the public. This measure was welcomed by the citizens of Xinchang. In September of that year, based on the experience of the Xinchang County Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau, the Xinchang County People's Government Office issued the "Implementation Plan for Social Sharing of Parking Spaces in Administrative Institutions and State owned Enterprises", proposing that parking spaces in administrative institutions and state-owned enterprises within the urban area of Xinchang be open to the public for free during off work hours. This year, Xinchang has opened another batch of parking lots for administrative institutions and state-owned enterprises in accordance with the principle of "orderly opening, free use, and convenient proximity". Currently, a total of 697 shared parking spaces have been launched in the county, which are open to surrounding residents for free at different times, promoting more convenient, standardized, and orderly parking in urban areas.

Why can't the government compound be opened to the outside world? In recent years, more and more people have raised such questions, and some local government agencies have also tried to open the doors of courtyards to let the people in. During the National Day holiday of 2019, 3500 government agencies, enterprises, and institutions in Quzhou City opened their parking spaces to the public for free, effectively alleviating the problem of parking difficulties for citizens and tourists. The news was trending at that time, and currently, most government courtyards in Quzhou remain open during holidays.

In places such as Yuhang and Changxing, government departments have also attempted to open courtyards for people to walk and take turns, and open canteens for nearby people to dine during holidays, all of which have received praise from local residents.

There are also some government agencies that do not have enclosed courtyards. For example, the Taizhou City Government is open, with a large circular disk in front and large lawns on both sides. On weekends, many citizens come here to relax and set up tents. Everyone says this is their own courtyard.

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The government of Wagangzhai Township in Huaxian County, Henan Province has vacated a courtyard to open up the sun drying of grain, which has aroused praise from the public. In fact, every time similar news appears, it can attract widespread attention from everyone. Xu Linqiang, a teacher at the School of International Culture and Tourism at Zhejiang University City College, believes that this reflects the public's desire for the government to change its image and work style.

Xu Linqiang said that as a public place, the government compound is open to the public, which is what it should be. There is nothing mysterious about the government compound, its daily use is nothing more than to provide office space for government workers. In essence, this space, like the parks, squares, parking lots and grain drying grounds in the society, exists to provide public services. Opening up allows people to not only visit the government compound like a park, but also feel the protection of the rights of the master everywhere, and have barrier-free access to the public affairs they need to know.

"In fact, government courtyards can not only allow farmers to come in to dry their crops, but also be used to hold cultural activities and provide free parking for tourists and citizens. From social feedback, local governments that have launched such measures have received strong praise, indicating that the opening of government courtyards has many benefits." Xu Linqiang said that by opening government courtyards, cadres can better listen to the voices of the masses, improve their governance level, and also provide more channels for the masses to supervise cadres.

Professor Yi Ling from the Law School of Zhejiang Wanli University believes that in recent years, there have been frequent tensions between some local governments and the public. While the reasons for this are complex, the lack of communication and exchange between the government and the public is an important reason. The opening of government compound is a beneficial attempt to build a harmonious relationship between the government and the people, and also in line with the spirit of the central mass line. "Regardless of the level of government, the principle of openness to the people should be upheld. For some officials who are unable to do so due to work reasons, their hearts should also be open to the people. Only by keeping in mind the five words' serving the people 'can they better exercise the power bestowed upon them by the people."

Some local governments may worry about safety, order, and other reasons, thinking that opening up government compound offices will lead to chaos and make it difficult to manage. A retired cadre from the Hangzhou Municipal Government said that, in fact, as long as they use their brains more in management, many problems can be easily solved. The opening of government courtyards will undoubtedly bring many problems, but these have not become reasons to hinder the opening. "Proactively providing considerate services to the people and finding ways to meet the needs of people's livelihood and social development is also an important responsibility of the government."