Gujarat CM makes surprise virtual visit to district grievance hearings
Gandhinagar, July 22
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday made an unannounced virtual visit to the monthly District SWAGAT Online Public Grievance Redressal Programme, joining proceedings in Mehsana, Kutch and Bhavnagar through a video wall from Gandhinagar and directly hearing grievances raised by citizens.
The surprise digital visit marked the first time the Chief Minister had virtually joined district-level SWAGAT proceedings without prior notice.
During the interaction, he instructed district authorities to ensure that grievances received at the district and taluka levels are not merely closed on paper but resolved to the satisfaction of applicants.
Reviewing a complaint from Mehsana, where a flat owner alleged that a builder had failed to refund money, Patel directed the District Collector to recover the amount from the builder and ensure that it is returned to the applicant.
In another case concerning permanent constructions on gauchar land in Palitana in Bhavnagar district, the Chief Minister instructed the District Collector to expedite the land survey and ensure that the applicant receives justice.
Patel told District Collectors that they should aim for complete resolution of grievances at the District and Taluka SWAGAT levels so that citizens do not have to approach the State SWAGAT programme for redressal.
He directed that all pending grievances be resolved within 15 days to one month and asked officials to submit complete details of such cases, including applicants' contact numbers, to the Chief Minister's Office.
He also instructed officials that where a grievance cannot be resolved, applicants should be given a clear and truthful explanation rather than being subjected to prolonged inter-departmental correspondence.
The Chief Minister further directed that in cases involving encroachments on gauchar land, the government should bear the cost of the land survey.
Patel also asked District Collectors to review complaints raised during District SWAGAT programmes over the past six months that had not received adequate attention from the concerned departments.
He instructed them to resolve such cases in consultation with the applicants and submit a report to the Chief Minister's Office by July 31.
"District officials should remain present during the Taluka SWAGAT programme, held on the fourth Tuesday of every month, and actively participate in resolving grievances," he said.
According to the state government, the Chief Minister's unannounced digital visit enabled applicants attending the District SWAGAT programme to interact with him directly during the proceedings.
Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sanjeev Kumar, Additional Principal Secretary Dr Vikrant Pandey, Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar, and Officers on Special Duty Dhiraj Parekh and Rakesh Vyas were present during the programme.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Honestly, this is the kind of governance we need across India. The fact that he directly spoke to complainants and even ordered recovery of money from a builder is impressive. But my concern is about the gauchar land encroachment cases. Why should government bear the cost of survey? That money comes from taxpayers. Also, why is gauchar land being encroached in the first place? Need stricter enforcement.
As someone who moved to Ahmedabad from the US for work, this is refreshing to see. In many Western countries, citizens struggle with government bureaucracy for months. The SWAGAT system seems efficient. But I wonder about the scalability - how will the CM manage this for all districts regularly? Hope they have a robust system beyond just the CM's direct involvement.
Finally, some accountability! The instruction to not just close cases on paper but actually resolve them is crucial. I've seen many times how officials mark complaints as 'resolved' without giving any real solution. The idea of giving truthful explanations when a grievance can't be resolved is also excellent. However, I wish the CM also addressed issues like water scarcity and farmer distress that affect rural Gujarat. Still, a good step forward. 🙏
Bhupendra Patel is doing good work but let's not forget that such surprise visits need to be consistent. One visit doesn't change the system. The real test will be whether pending cases from last 6 months actually get resolved by July 31 as directed. Also, I hope taluka level officials take this seriously and don't just put up a show during CM's presence. Desh ki naukari hai, janata ki seva karni chahiye!
R We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.