TN Police chief orders weekly grievance hearings, asks officers to treat people with respect
Chennai, June 24
In an effort to make the police administration more accessible and responsive, Tamil Nadu Director General of Police Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal has directed senior police officers across the state to meet members of the public twice every week and personally hear their grievances.
According to an order issued by the DGP, Wednesdays and Saturdays have been designated as Public Grievance Redressal Days. On these days, Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), Superintendents of Police (SPs), Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs), Inspectors General (IGs) and Police Commissioners must remain available in their respective offices from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to receive complaints from the public.
The directive aims to ensure that complaints and grievances are addressed promptly and effectively.
Senior officers have been instructed to interact with complainants courteously, listen to their concerns and take appropriate action within a stipulated time frame.
The order emphasises that members of the public should be treated with respect and that efforts must be made to resolve their grievances without unnecessary delay.
Officers have also been asked to adopt a citizen-friendly approach while handling complaints. In situations where the designated officers are unable to attend the grievance sessions due to court appearances, official meetings, law-and-order duties or other unavoidable commitments, the next senior-most officer should hear the complaints and initiate necessary action.
This arrangement is intended to prevent the public from having to wait for extended periods and to ensure continuity in grievance redressal.
The DGP has further directed that complaints received during these sessions should be processed expeditiously and monitored until appropriate action is taken.
The order underscores the police department's commitment to improving public service delivery and strengthening trust between citizens and law enforcement agencies.
By creating a structured platform for direct interaction with senior officers, the initiative is expected to provide quicker solutions to public grievances and enhance accountability within the force.
The DGP also stated that the implementation of the grievance redressal mechanism and the performance of officers in this regard would be closely monitored by the State Police Headquarters.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Grievance hearings are cool but the real problem is corruption at the bottom level. Constables and head constables are the ones dealing with public most of the time. Unless there's follow-up from these sessions will this help anyone? 😕
I'm from Chennai but currently in the US, and in many American police departments they have weekly community meetings where citizens can raise concerns directly with captains. This is a smart move for transparency and to build trust in the force.
We in Coimbatore had a similar thing last year and honestly it was a joke. People stood in line for hours and the officers just took down complaints without doing anything. After three months the program was forgotten. I hope this DGP actually monitors progress and holds officers accountable for solving issues.
Good initiative! But they should also set up an online portal for submitting grievances since not everyone can take leave from work on a Wednesday or Saturday morning to go wait at the police station. Digital option will help working people and women who live alone.
As a business owner in Madurai, this could be game-changer for solving land disputes and small theft complaints that police ignore or delay for bribes. But only if the officers actually follow the 'courteous and respectful' part of the order. Many still treat complainants like they're criminals.
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