Gujarat to strengthen district-level grievance redressal as DGP reviews citizen complaint mechanism
Gandhinagar, June 9
Gujarat Director General of Police G.S. Malik on Tuesday said the state government is working to ensure that citizens' grievances are resolved at the district level, reducing the need for people to travel to Gandhinagar to seek redressal.
During a surprise visit to the Home Department's Public Relations Centre and the Public Relations Office at Police Bhavan in Gandhinagar, Malik reviewed the functioning of the citizen grievance mechanism and interacted directly with applicants who had come to submit representations.
The visit focused on assessing the nature of complaints being received, the challenges faced by citizens and the districts from which the highest number of representations originate.
According to the DGP, the review aimed to identify areas where local grievance redressal systems need strengthening so that citizens can obtain relief closer to home.
"We have undertaken a detailed review of the kinds of issues citizens bring to the Gandhinagar centre, their major concerns and the districts from which a large number of applicants come. The objective is to establish a system under which citizens from such districts can receive justice and resolution at the local level itself," Malik said.
He said the Home Department is developing a more effective mechanism to ensure people do not have to undertake long journeys to the state capital to resolve routine or significant grievances.
"Arrangements are being made so that ordinary citizens do not have to travel all the way to Gandhinagar for the resolution of their problems and can receive satisfactory redressal at the district level itself," he said.
Malik noted that representations currently received in Gandhinagar are immediately forwarded to the concerned district authorities or relevant police units.
He said the police administration has put in place a system to ensure prompt, transparent, and fair disposal of complaints.
During the visit, the DGP also held face-to-face discussions with citizens present at the centres to gain first-hand feedback on the grievance redressal process.
Officials said the Public Relations Office serves not only as a facility for receiving applications but also as an important interface between the police and the public.
The citizen-centric approach adopted at the state level is expected to be further strengthened across districts as part of efforts to make the police system more accessible, responsive, and accountable.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally, someone is thinking about the common man. My father is a farmer from Banaskantha and he had to spend three days in Gandhinagar just to report a theft. The local thana didn't even file an FIR initially. Decentralisation of grievance redressal is the only way to make police accessible. But the key will be whether the district SPs are given real authority to act. 😊
DGP Malik sahab is doing the right thing. In Gujarat, we have good roads and connectivity, but still people from remote areas struggle to reach the capital. If they can resolve issues at the district level, it will reduce the burden on Gandhinagar offices too. But please ensure that the local officers don't become arrogant with this power. Accountability must be maintained. 👍
As an NRI from the US settled in Ahmedabad, I've seen how police complaints work here. The idea of district-level resolution is good in theory, but I've witnessed local police stations being very slow in rural areas. The review should include training for district staff on digital tracking of complaints. Transparent online portals would help. I hope they implement tech solutions along with this. 🤔
I appreciate the DGP's surprise visit—that shows seriousness. But my concern is about the 'qualitative' aspect. Even if complaints are resolved at the district level, will the citizen feel satisfied? In many districts, the police culture is still very 'seth-sahab' type. The common man needs respect and empathy, not just a file number. Let's see how this mechanism actually works on ground. ⚖️
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