Record 15.77 lakh public grievances received in 2018: Govt

A record 15.77 lakh public grievances were received by the government in 2018 of which 95 per cent were disposed, according to an official statement issued Tuesday.

The highest disposal of public grievances was achieved in the departments of Financial Services, Health and Family Welfare, Posts, Telecommunications, Railways and Home Affairs.

Not only were disposal percentages in departments/ministries in excess of 90 per cent but the disposal time was less than the prescribed 60 days and effective communication was being sent to the citizen in this regard, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions said.

The monitoring of grievances is being undertaken in government in 21 major categories under three major heads: grievance arising out of abuse of office/corruption on the part of public functionaries; grievances arising out of systemic deficiencies within an organisation and the grievances arising from non-fulfilment of needs/demands.

Departments have undertaken several corrective measures for simplifying processes for reducing public grievances.

Some of the notable reforms introduced are automatic refunds on cancellation of railway tickets, single window pension through disbursing banks, intensive mechanized cleaning of coaches, e-verification of Income Tax returns, expeditious Income Tax returns upto Rs 50,000 and simplification in passport verification processes.

An important step in this direction is the timely updation of citizens charters which represent effective tools for holding public servants accountable and improving service delivery.

Government launched an award scheme as an incentive for recognising outstanding performance in redress of public grievances on quarterly basis through issue of certificate of appreciation.

In 2018, Government awarded nine departments for timely disposal of public grievances, the statement said, adding that the objective is improved citizen centric governance through effective and speedy redress of public grievances.