Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday said the state’s grievance redressal mechanism has become more effective due to continuous monitoring at all administrative levels, with 96 per cent of complaints received during the first 18 phases of the state-level public hearing programme already resolved.
Speaking to reporters after the 19th phase of the Chief Minister’s grievance hearing programme at the Grievance Hearing Chamber in Unit-II here, Majhi said the government has been giving top priority to addressing the concerns of ordinary citizens since assuming office.
The Chief Minister said every grievance submitted through the programme is being monitored regularly from the state headquarters down to the district level, resulting in a steady improvement in disposal rates and strengthening public confidence in the administration.
According to official figures, 14,331 of the 14,941 petitions received during the previous 18 state-level grievance hearing sessions have been resolved, translating into a disposal rate of 96 per cent.
Majhi also highlighted the progress of grievance redressal at the district level, where Collectors and Superintendents of Police are conducting regular public hearings, while similar programmes are continuing at the tehsil and block levels. By the end of June, authorities had heard 2,59,213 grievances across districts, of which around 89 per cent had been resolved.
He said the decentralised system has significantly reduced the hardship faced by people in getting their complaints heard and has enhanced their faith in the government.
As part of the programme, the Chief Minister first interacted with differently-abled persons and patients suffering from critical illnesses waiting outside the venue. He personally received their petitions and directed officials to ensure immediate action before proceeding to hear grievances from registered applicants inside the chamber.
During the hearing, the Chief Minister approved medical assistance of ₹6.15 lakh through the single-window system for around 12 persons undergoing treatment for various critical illnesses.
Officials said more than 700 grievance petitions were received during the day through both online and offline modes.
Six Cabinet ministers participated in the hearing alongside the Chief Minister. They included Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, School and Mass Education and ST & SC Development Minister Nityananda Gond, Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Rural Development Minister Rabi Narayan Naik, Industries and Skill Development Minister Sampad Chandra Swain, and Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallick.
Senior bureaucrats, including Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Hemant Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Saswata Mishra, Principal Secretary of the General Administration and Public Grievances Department Suresh Kumar Vashishth, and secretaries of various departments, were also present during the grievance hearing programme.
