BHUBANESWAR: Chiief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday announced that his public grievance redressal programme will be extended beyond Bhubaneswar and he will hold hearings at the district-level after the summer.
Speaking to mediapersons after conducting the 18th edition of his grievance hearing at the chief minister’s grievance cell in Unit-II here, Majhi said the move aims to bring the administration closer to the people and spare citizens from the inconvenience and expense of travelling to the state capital to seek redressal of their problems.
“People from remote areas should not have to spend money and face difficulties to reach Bhubaneswar. The administration should reach them and listen to their grievances at their doorstep,” the chief minister said.
Majhi said that the grievance hearing mechanism has evolved into an integral component of the state’s governance system over the last two years. The initiative, which allows people to directly place their concerns before him and senior officials, has helped strengthen public confidence in the government and improve administrative responsiveness.
The chief minister said the emphasis on grievance redressal at the highest-level has also encouraged regular hearings at district, block and tehsils. According to official data, nearly 2.40 lakh grievances were heard across districts till April this year, with 92 per cent of cases resolved.
The state government has also recorded a high disposal rate at the CM’s grievance cell. Of the 14,651 complaints received during the first 17 rounds of hearings, 14,046 cases, or 96 per cent, have been resolved.
During Monday’s hearing, more than 600 complaints were received through online and offline modes. The chief minister personally met 30 people with disabilities and patients suffering from serious illnesses. He directed officials to take immediate action on their grievances.
Financial assistance of Rs 3.60 lakh was sanctioned for the treatment of 13 critical patients under the single window system, while ex gratia assistance of Rs 2 lakh was approved for a Nayagarh woman, whose son died in an accident.
Thirteen ministers, along with top bureaucrats and secretaries of different departments, participated in the hearing and assisted in addressing public grievances.