CUTTACK: With the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) taking stern note of the dismal performance of Cuttack district in disposal of public grievances through the Janasunani portal, the district administration as a face-saving move has decided to withhold the salaries of 36 officers for the month of November for their alleged failures.
In a letter to the district treasury officer, special treasury officer and all sub-treasury officers of the district, additional district magistrate (ADM) Shibo Toppo stated that grievances received through the Janasunani portal are to be responded in a time-bound manner as the CM’s grievance cell reviews the matter regularly for disposal of pending grievances.
“However, even after repeated persuasion and review meetings, the progress of disposal is not encouraging. The district’s ranking/position in disposal percentage is worsening in whole of the state. CM’s grievance cell has expressed utter displeasure over poor disposal of grievances received in Monday CM grievance cell. You are therefore requested to withhold the salary of the defaulting officers as per list enclosed herewith for the month of November, 2025, until further instructions of the collector,” the letter stated.
The defaulting officers whose salaries have been withheld include CDMO, Cuttack, BDOs, tehsildars, district education officer (DEO), district social welfare officer (DSWO), sub-collector, Cuttack and Athagarh, DCO, Cuttack, TPCODL, CDVO, Cuttack, R&B Division, Cuttack-1 and 2, RW Division, Cuttack-1, DLO, Cuttack, executive officer, Choudwar Municipality and project director, DRDA, Cuttack.
While the highest 61 grievances are pending with CDMO, Cuttack, Mahanga BDO has 59 followed by Narasinghpur tehsildar 34, Cuttack DEO 32, Niali BDO 30, DSWO Cuttack 25, BOD, Nischintakoili and Banki tehsildar 23 each, 21 with BDO, Baramba and 20 each with sub-collector, Cuttack and Baranga tehsildar.
Similarly, 18 grievances are pending with TPCODL, nine with EO, Choudwar Municipality, six with sub-collector, Athagarh and five with project director, DRDA, Cuttack.
However, sources said, the below-par performance of the district in attending to people’s grievances despite strict instructions from CMO indicates a complete failure of the collector. The collector as the head of the administration has failed to ensure proper functioning of the grievance redressal system in the district and the blame has been shifted to the block and sub-division level officials.