Step to further strengthen grievances redressal mechanism
*ADDCs, SDMs asked to monitor situation bi-monthly
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 7: Further strengthening the grievances redressal mechanism, the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has made time-bound the disposal of complaints being received at the Panchayat level with necessary directions to the Block Development Councils, Block Development Officers and Panchayat Secretaries.
Moreover, Additional District Development Commissioners (ADDCs) and Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) have been told in unambiguous terms that they should review the situation monthly or bi-monthly and accordingly furnish detailed report to the Government for perusal.
Chairing the Administrative Council meeting on December 3, 2019, the Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu had issued directions for placement of complaint boxes in every Panchayat in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to enable citizens to register their complaints and grievances with the Government.
Accordingly, the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj got complaint boxes installed at the prominent places in each Panchayat of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Though people started dropping large number of complaints in these boxes yet there was no mechanism for their disposal and accordingly this aspect was discussed at the highest level.
Now, on the instructions of the Lieutenant Governor, the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has issued instructions/guidelines for opening of complaint boxes and disposal of complaints of the people in a time bound manner and the District Development Commissioners, Block Development Councils, Block Development Officers and Panchayat Secretaries have been asked to strictly follow the same.
As per the guidelines, the complaint box will be opened by Panchayat Secretary in the presence of Sarpanch/Naib Sarpanch or any of the Panches on a fixed day of a week preferably Monday and the details of the complaint received will be recorded in the Panchayat Complaint Register maintained at Panchayat level by the Panchayat Secretary.
Those complaints which can be settled at Panchayat level will be sent to the officials of the concerned line department by the Sarpanch concerned through the Panchayat Secretary and the concerned officials at Panchayat level will address the grievances within a week’s time. They will also intimate the action taken on the next date of opening of the complaint box to the Sarpanch/Panchayat Secretary.
The complaints which cannot be addressed at Panchayat level will be forwarded to the Chairperson of the Block Development Council concerned, who will forward the same to the block level officers of the departments to whom they pertain through the Block Development Officer (Secretary BDC).
The block level officers of the line departments will redress the grievances within a week’s time and inform the BDC/BDO about the disposal of complaints on weekly basis, read the instructions.
Moreover, the Secretary BDC (BDO) will diarize the complaints as per the proforma prepared by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and complaints which cannot be addressed at block level will be forwarded to the District Development Commissioner concerned for disposal.
“Monthly report at each level must be consolidated by the Additional District Development Commissioner and sent to the concerned Director, Rural Development, who shall further consolidate the information and send it to the Administrative Department”, the instructions further said.
The disposal status of the complaints will be reviewed by the ADDCs and Sub-Divisional Magistrates during their monthly/bi-monthly meeting prescribed vide Government Order No.5-RD&PR dated February 7, 2020.
With this, the grievances redressal mechanism will get further boost. At present grievances are being received through Lieutenant Governor’s Grievance Cell, public outreach darbars by the Advisors and Administrative Secretaries as per the schedule prepared on the instructions of the Lieutenant Governor.
The Deputy Commissioners are also holding weekly public meetings, often at tehsil and block levels, where they are accompanied by a number of district officers to facilitate speedy and on spot resolution of the grievances.
It is pertinent to mention here that Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu has already directed that the Awaz-e-Awaam portal of Jammu & Kashmir Public Grievance Cell should include a mechanism for registering and monitoring grievances received during public outreach meetings by the Advisors.
Moreover, directions have also been issued to all the officers that grievances being referred to them by the Raj Bhawan, Chief Secretary’s Secretariat and other quarters should be redressed in a time bound manner.
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