Chennai, June 14
In a significant step aimed at improving citizen services, the Tamil Nadu government has directed all department secretaries and district collectors to submit monthly reports detailing actions taken on public grievance petitions.
The move is part of a renewed push for accountability and timely resolution of complaints received by government offices, both in person and via email.
According to official sources, the state's Chief Secretary has issued clear instructions to all departments to strictly adhere to the new directives.
The guidelines mandate that every grievance petition must be acknowledged within three days of receipt.
Furthermore, departments must ensure that the issue raised is resolved within a month.
To streamline the process and ensure transparency, each government office is required to maintain a dedicated register for grievance petitions.
This register must follow the format outlined in the recent Government Order (GO), which includes fields for date of receipt, petitioner details, nature of grievance, action taken, and date of resolution.
Officials have been instructed to document each step taken on every petition in the register. The head of each office -- be it a district collectorate, department headquarters, or local government branch -- must conduct a monthly review of the register.
This review is aimed at identifying any unresolved petitions and ensuring that they are addressed without undue delay.
The Chief Secretary has emphasized that no delays in submitting monthly status reports will be tolerated. These reports must reflect the number of petitions received, those resolved within the stipulated time, and the steps taken on pending cases.
The move comes as part of the state government's broader strategy to make governance more responsive and citizen-centric.
Officials believe the system will improve trust in public institutions by ensuring that grievances are not only acknowledged but actively tracked until closure. The new regulations also serve as a warning to departments that have been slow or inconsistent in addressing public concerns.
With mandatory monthly reporting and accountability measures now in place, the government aims to foster a culture of timely and efficient grievance redressal across all levels of administration.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some accountability in the system! As someone who has filed multiple petitions that went into black holes, this gives me hope. The 30-day resolution timeline is ambitious but necessary. Hope they implement it properly across all districts. 🤞
Good initiative but execution is key. Will there be penalties for officers who don't comply? In my village, even basic complaints about water supply take months to resolve. The monthly reporting is a good first step though.
The dedicated register system reminds me of the old 'Roznamcha' system that worked well in British times. Sometimes going back to basics with proper documentation helps. Hope they digitize these records too for better transparency.
As a government employee myself, I welcome this move. Often we want to help citizens but get stuck in bureaucratic delays. Clear timelines and accountability will help both officials and the public. Hope other states follow TN's lead!
While the intention is good, I'm skeptical. Our system has too many pending cases already. Instead of new rules, why not first clear the backlog? Also, will common people get access to these reports or will they remain internal documents?
Excellent move! But they should also create awareness about how to file proper petitions. Many villagers don't know the right format or where to submit. Maybe gram sabhas can conduct workshops? The system is only as good as people's access to it.
Here are 6 diverse user comments from an Indian perspective on this Tamil Nadu government initiative: We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.