Citizens can now submit complaints at district and subdivision-level camps every Monday and Thursday from 10 am to noon
YAMUNANAGAR | PEN OF DEMOCRACY NEWS DESK
City Magistrate Piyush Gupta has directed officials to make every possible effort to resolve the grievances of citizens attending the Samadhan Shivir at the earliest, preferably on the spot. He said that where a complaint requires verification of documents or an inquiry by the concerned department, officials must ensure that the matter is resolved within a clearly defined and reasonable timeframe.
Gupta was speaking while presiding over the Samadhan Shivir organised at the District Secretariat. The camp was held as part of the state government’s initiative to provide citizens with a direct platform for raising their grievances and securing timely solutions through the concerned departments.
The CTM said the objective of the camps was to ensure that people did not have to make repeated visits to government offices for matters that could be resolved through coordinated administrative action. He directed officials to listen carefully to each applicant, understand the nature of the complaint and make sincere efforts to settle eligible matters during the camp itself.
He said that even in cases where immediate disposal was not possible because the complaint involved verification of records, documents or other forms of inquiry, officials should ensure that the process was completed without unnecessary delay. Applicants should also be kept informed about the progress of their cases, he added.
Gupta said the state government has made a change in the schedule of the Samadhan Shivir being organised for the speedy resolution of public grievances. The camps will now be held twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, from 10 am to 12 noon.
The grievance redressal camps will continue to be organised at both the district and subdivision levels, enabling residents to approach the administration at a location accessible to them. The revised schedule is intended to provide citizens with regular opportunities to raise their concerns before the administration.
Five complaints were received during the Samadhan Shivir chaired by CTM Piyush Gupta at the District Secretariat. The complaints covered issues related to property, drainage infrastructure and alleged encroachment on public space.
Kusum, a resident of Sassouli, approached the camp with a complaint concerning the removal of alleged encroachment from her plot. The matter was brought before the officials for consideration and appropriate action.
Another applicant, Gurdayal Chand of Shivpuri, raised a complaint regarding the repair of a drainage pipeline. He sought administrative intervention to address the problem and restore the drainage facility.
Surender Kumar, a resident of Farkpur, also submitted a complaint seeking removal of an alleged illegal encroachment from a street. The grievance was placed before the officials concerned for necessary examination and action.
The administration said complaints received during the camp would be dealt with according to their nature and the jurisdiction of the concerned department. Matters capable of being resolved immediately would be taken up on the spot, while cases requiring verification or further examination would be processed within the prescribed timeframe.
The Samadhan Shivir mechanism is intended to bring grievance redressal closer to citizens and provide them with an institutional platform to approach the administration. Such direct interaction also enables officials to understand local problems and coordinate with different departments for their resolution.
Gupta stressed that the effectiveness of the camps depends on timely follow-up after a complaint is received. He directed officials to ensure that complaints are not merely recorded but are taken to their logical conclusion.
He said citizens approaching the administration with genuine grievances should receive a responsive and accountable system. Where a matter falls within the authority of a particular department, the concerned officials should take prompt action instead of delaying the case unnecessarily.
The CTM also emphasised the importance of coordination among departments in cases involving multiple agencies. Timely sharing of information and verification of records can help reduce delays and provide citizens with a clearer response to their complaints.
The revised Monday and Thursday schedule provides residents with two fixed opportunities every week to approach the administration. The district and subdivision-level arrangements are expected to make the grievance redressal mechanism more accessible to people from different parts of the district.
The administration has also urged citizens to make use of the camps for raising legitimate public grievances and provide relevant documents wherever required. Proper documentation can help departments verify complaints and process them more efficiently.
The officials attending the camp examined the complaints placed before them and discussed the issues raised by the applicants. The emphasis remained on resolving grievances promptly and ensuring that cases requiring further action were not left pending without follow-up.
Special members of the Samadhan Shivir, Jagdish Babbar, Khareti Lal Batra and Surender Sharma, were present during the proceedings along with officials from various government departments.
The administration reiterated that the purpose of the grievance camps is to create a more accessible and responsive system through which citizens can directly approach officials with their concerns. The twice-weekly schedule is expected to provide greater continuity in the grievance redressal process.
Gupta said the administration would continue to focus on prompt disposal of complaints and directed officials to treat each applicant’s grievance with seriousness. He stressed that where an issue cannot be resolved immediately, every effort should be made to complete the required inquiry, verification or documentation process at the earliest.
The camp concluded with officials taking up the complaints submitted by residents and initiating the required process for their disposal. The administration said the grievance redressal exercise would continue regularly at both district and subdivision levels under the revised schedule.
POD/DESK
