BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday rejected the ‘ministers versus officers’ issue raised by the Opposition as a non-issue, stating that the chief minister’s grievance cell is always handled by the CMO and the ministers are not required to attend it.
Making a statement in the Assembly in this regard, Naveen said once the petitions are received, they are sent to the departments concerned.
“Where is the issue of ministers versus officers in this?” he questioned.
Naveen said, ministers have played a major role as head of the departments in resolving the petitions. It is teamwork at the highest level and is professionally done in a democratic set-up. He said by going to the doorsteps of people, the chief minister’s grievance cell saves them from spending on travel, stay and wage loss.
“The aim is to resolve people’s grievances in the best possible manner,” he added.
The chief minister also dismissed the allegation of excess expenditure incurred in the use of helicopter by the CMO to reach out to the people as misleading. Stating that in the last three and half years the government spent about `40 crore on chopper, he informed that an average of `1 to `1.5 crore is the expenditure every month. He said the expenditure was also of the same range in the last six months when chopper was used intensively to reach out to people.
Taking a strong view of the BJP and Congress members’ protest to the CMO visits to resolve grievances, Naveen said such Opposition is anti-people and people will give them a befitting reply for such attitude. He said the Opposition members should be happy that so many grievances in their areas have also been resolved.
Targeting the Opposition, the chief minister said they should not be unhappy for political reasons as people and people’s representatives are happy. “For my government, people come first, resolving people’s issues is a top priority and I will continue to do so in the best possible manner,” he stated.
Over 43,000 pleas disposed
Naveen said before Covid, grievance hearing was held at the CMO in Bhubaneswar. It remained closed for two years due to the pandemic. He said he thought of reaching out to the people after two years of Covid disruption in grievance redressal by taking the CM grievance cell to the doorsteps of people.
He further informed that the CM grievance cell is handled by the CMO and as per his direction, officers from the CMO conducted decentralised grievance cell in all the districts. The mammoth exercise was carried out at 190 locations for six months and 57,442 petitions were collected from the people. As on date 43,536 petitions have been resolved or disposed of, he informed the House.