AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Director General of Police GS Malik has issued a state-wide directive requiring police officers at every level to devote two hours each day exclusively to public grievance redressal.
The order is designed to bring justice closer to citizens and build a system where complaints are resolved at the grassroots instead of pushing people from one office to another.
Under the new directive, senior police officers across the state have been instructed to remain available for public interaction every day between 12 noon and 2 pm. The order covers Police Commissioners, Joint Commissioners, Additional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and other senior officers, who will personally hear grievances, accept written applications and initiate necessary legal action.
Citizens seeking justice should not have to undertake repeated trips to Gandhinagar, the DGP Office or the State Secretariat for matters that can be resolved at the district or police station level.
The police headquarters has also put in place a backup mechanism to ensure that no visitor returns disappointed. If the designated officer is unavailable due to unavoidable circumstances, the senior-most officer present or the office reader will receive the complaint and immediately place it before the concerned authority for priority action.
Recognising the heavy workload of Police Inspectors during the first half of the day because of court appearances, investigations and affidavit-related duties, a separate schedule has been created for police stations.
All Police Inspectors heading police stations have been directed to remain available every day from 4 pm to 6 pm to meet citizens personally.
During these hours, station officers will be required to patiently hear complainants, receive written representations and initiate prompt legal proceedings wherever necessary.
The objective is to ensure that ordinary people get relief at the police station itself instead of being compelled to approach higher offices.
The directive also introduces strict timelines for the disposal of complaints. Cases involving economic offences, matrimonial and family disputes, medical negligence and allegations of corruption must be resolved within six weeks. All other general grievances are to be disposed of within a maximum period of 15 days.
To strengthen transparency and accountability, every police office has been instructed to maintain a dedicated register documenting the details of each citizen approaching the department with a complaint or representation. The records will create an official trail and help monitor the progress of pending matters.
The order further makes it clear that if a preliminary inquiry reveals the commission of a cognizable offence, an FIR must be registered immediately and legal action should begin without unnecessary delay.
"The objective is to ensure that citizens receive justice at the local level and are not forced to travel to higher offices for routine grievances. Every complaint must be examined impartially and acted upon within the prescribed time frame," the police administration stated.