CM Majhi restarts public grievance redressal, a practice stopped by BJD Govt since 2019
In a landmark move, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated a direct grievance-redressal process on Monday, marking the first such initiative by an Odisha CM in 15 years. This new endeavor aims to address citizen complaints effectively and transparently.
Majhi’s sessions will be held every Monday, a significant step since former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik last conducted an in-person grievance meeting in August 2008. Patnaik initially held such meetings twice a week after his election in 2000, dedicating Fridays to his Assembly constituency Hinjili and Saturdays to the rest of the state. However, due to increasing dissatisfaction and a lack of consistent follow-up, these sessions were discontinued after six months.
Last year, V.K. Pandian, a former IAS officer and close aide to Patnaik, undertook extensive grievance-redressal tours across 190 locations in 30 districts, receiving over 57,000 grievances and resolving 43,536 of them. These tours, however, were controversial, with opposition parties alleging they were politically motivated. The cost of these tours, which included helicopter rentals, was also criticized, with allegations that over ₹500 crore was spent without proper budgetary provisions.
On the first day of the new initiative, 1,540 grievance petitions were registered, and 5,000 people attended the Grievance Cell to meet Majhi. The grievances predominantly concerned job regularization, health issues, and the transfer of government employees. Majhi personally reviewed the complaints and assured prompt resolution.
“My daughter-in-law is a doctor in Keonjhar, while my son is posted in Puri. They have lived apart for years. I sought the CM’s intervention for my daughter-in-law’s transfer,” said P.K. Acharya from Bhubaneswar.
Hemalata Mohanty from Karanda, Dhenkanal, shared a tragic story about her husband’s death in an altercation involving a BJD-supporting contractor. She appealed to the CM for justice after being ignored by the police.
To facilitate smoother grievance redressal, the BJP government has launched the website janasunani.odisha.gov.in, where citizens can register complaints. Additional channels include email (cmo@nic.in), the Janasunani app, and a WhatsApp number (6370951930). Complaints can also be submitted by post.
This new initiative underscores the BJP government’s commitment to transparency and accountability, aiming to restore public trust and provide swift resolutions to citizen grievances.
