NEW DELHI: Salary and employment related issues topped the list of various public complaints received in the Centre’s public grievance cell during the last one month of lockdown.
Total number of grievances received during last month was nearly 72,000, out of which PMO received nearly 20,000 complaints.
The maximum number of complaints was received by the PMO followed by external affairs and department of financial services.
Out of total 71,774 complaints, 45,013 were received against various Central ministries and remaining 25,504 against State governments. So far as disposal of these complaints are concerned, Central ministries were way ahead at disposing the complaints woth 84.32 % of the grievances disposed by the Central ministries and only 32.11 % disposed by the States. Maharashtra topped the list for most number of complaints with 4,000 grievances followed by Bihar, UP and Haryana.
Disposal cases was very low in respect of Uttar Pradesh as out of total 2,616 complaints only 481 were disposed by the State authorities. According to the report by the department of administrative reforms and public grievances (DARPG), nearly 65 % of the total grievances have been disposed by the various government departments and ministries.
The report disclosed that people from all across the country submitted their grievances to the PMO. A close look at the complaints disclosed that a large number of people preferred to address their complaints to PMO expecting quick redressal.
For example, a patient of chronic kidney disease stage 4 and blood cancer sought help regarding availability of life saving drugs. His complaint was forwarded to the pharmaceutical department leading to resolution.
Similarly, a person from Uttarakhand he requested PMO’s permission to travel to his residence to take care his pregnant wife and ailing parents complained who were 225 km away. Likewise, there were several complaints related to salary, PF and employment.
One person complained to the labour department seeking help for advance withdrawal of `30,000 of PF amount and his grievance was resolved. Earlier, DARPG had instructed every department/ ministry to appoint a designated nodal officer for quick disposal of COVID- 19 public grievances. They were told to pay high priority and to closely monitor COVID-19 public grievance redressal on their respective dashboards.