BHUBANESWAR: Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Wednesday launched a WhatsApp-based grievance redressal system through the state government’s ‘Ama Sathi’ chatbot.
The system will enable people to lodge complaints related to revenue services through WhatsApp at 9437292000, upload supporting documents and track the status of their grievances digitally without visiting government offices, Pujari said.
He said the initiative would make revenue services more accessible and strengthen public confidence in the administration.
Additional chief secretary Arabinda Padhee said the system would facilitate direct monitoring by the minister, department secretary and senior officials, thereby enhancing accountability among field-level officers.
Under the new mechanism, complaints will be routed to the appropriate authority. In general revenue matters, the tehsildar will conduct the initial examination, while cases requiring field verification may be referred to the revenue inspector. Depending on the nature and complexity of a grievance, cases can subsequently be escalated to the sub-collector, additional district magistrate or collector.
Complainants will receive WhatsApp updates at every stage, including registration, scrutiny, field verification, transfer to higher authorities, resolution or rejection of their complaints. They will also be able to rate the service and provide feedback.
The system covers grievances related to land records, mutation, correction of Records of Rights (RoR), land conversion, partition, encroachment, demarcation, provisions of the Odisha Land Reforms Act, land revenue, registration and stamp duty, disaster relief and certificates.
The government also plans to digitise complaints received physically at revenue offices and integrate them into the unified platform.