Jammu and Kashmir: Manoj Sinha asks officers to be more responsive to public issues

During the two-hour long live interactive programme, the Lt Governor interacted with as many as 22applicants, randomly selected from across the UT, through videoconferencing, and took firsthandappraisal of their issues and grievances, an official handout said. 

Today’s interaction was the latest in the series of LG’s Mulaqaat programme under which, every month,the Lt Governor meets individuals from across the UT, listens to their issues/concerns for resolving themon the spot, thus making the grievance redressal mechanism robust, responsive and more efficient,besides monitoring the performance efficiency of online Grievance Redressal System JK-IGRAMS. 

The interaction proved to be fruitful for some of the applicants as, with the intervention of Lt Governor,their issues got resolved on the spot, while timelines were set by the Lt Governor for redressal of theremaining issues being raised during the programme, the statement said. 

“Grievance redressal system has been institutionalized for prompt and speedy disposal of publicgrievances. UT Government is making the administrative system transparent, responsible andaccountable to the people”, the Lt Governor observed. 

He said that the objective behind holding the one-on-one interaction with the public is to reform theservice delivery structure of the governmental processes, making it more efficient and responsive. 

While taking the feedback from the people on online Grievance Redressal System JK-IGRAM, the LtGovernor asked the officers to be more sensitive and responsive to the issues of the public and takerequisite measures to minimize the difficulties of common people. 

The Lt Governor sought details of the status of the grievances put forth during the interaction from theconcerned officers who, in turn briefed the Lt Governor on measures taken for the redressal of thegrievances received and their present status. 

Expressing satisfaction over the constant increase in the rate of disposal of grievances since the 1stsession of LG’s Mulaqaat, the Lt Governor asked the officers to focus more on the quality of disposal ofpublic issues. 
He directed the officers to ensure quick disposal of files in Government departmentstreading the path of accountability and transparency. 

The Lt Governor also “assessed the implementation of directions passed during the previousinteractions”. 

In one case, an applicant apprised the Lt Governor about his grievance of facing shortage of raw materialfor making pottery and saving his ancestral trade, on which, the Lt Governor directed the concernedDeputy Commissioner to resolve the issue on priority and assured the potter that all necessary supportwould be given to him from the government. 

Similarly, a Public Health entrepreneur who has established a hospital raised the issues of extension ofbenefits under related schemes. 

The Lt Governor, while lauding the efforts of the applicant, assured himall possible assistance under the UT Government’s initiatives like J&K Healthcare Investment Policy andNew Industrial scheme. 

In another case, the Lt Governor, on being apprised about the issue of allotment of land for establishingComposite Regional Centre by a social activist, directed the concerned Divisional Commissioner toidentify the land for the same. 

He further assured the applicant that the matter would be taken up withthe Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for its early redressal.Earlier, Secretary, Public Grievances, Simrandeep Singh briefed the Lt Governor on the status ofgrievances and measures taken to improve the efficiency of the grievance redressal system. 

BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Atal Dulloo, Financial Commissioner, Health and MedicalEducation Department; Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor; AdministrativeSecretaries; Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, HoDs, andother senior officers also remained present during the interaction, in person and through virtual mode.