DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday reviewed the functioning of the CM Helpline 1905 at the Secretariat and directed officials to ensure the swift, time-bound and satisfactory resolution of public grievances.The chief minister said that the CM Helpline is an important mechanism for addressing the problems of the common people. He stressed that grievance redressal should not be limited to formally closing complaints on the portal, but must ensure an actual resolution of the complainant’s problem.Dhami directed district magistrates to review complaints department-wise in districts where a particular category of grievances is being received in large numbers and ensure their early resolution. He also called for an analysis of the reasons behind repeated complaints of the same nature and effective measures to address such issues permanently.The chief minister directed all district magistrates to conduct surprise inspections of tehsils. During these inspections, special attention should be paid to whether mutation-related cases are being disposed of within the prescribed timelines. He said complaints related to land fraud should be addressed on priority. The chief minister stressed that people should not be made to make unnecessary visits to government offices for revenue-related matters and that prescribed services must be delivered within the stipulated timeDhami directed officials to accord top priority to ensuring the availability of clean drinking water. He said complaints related to drinking water should be acted upon immediately. He directed the concerned officials to conduct an audit of water pipelines and sewer lines within 15 days and submit a report. Timely resolution of disruptions in water supply, leakages and other related issues should be ensured.The chief minister directed officials to pay special attention to grievances pending for more than 30 days. Secretaries, heads of departments and district magistrates should regularly review pending complaints at their respective levels. Accountability should be fixed for officials in cases where complaints are not resolved within the prescribed timeframe.He further directed that long-pending complaints be resolved on the highest priority. During the meeting, a department-wise status of complaints pending for more than 180 days was also presented. Dhami said such old cases should be regularly monitored at the departmental level and the reasons for their pendency should also be reviewed.The chief minister instructed officials not to close complaints unnecessarily under “Special Close” or “Force Close” categories. He said the satisfaction of complainants must be given due importance in grievance redressal. Before closing any complaint, officials must ensure that all necessary action has been taken at the appropriate level to resolve the issue.Dhami said the feedback mechanism for complaints received through the CM Helpline should be further strengthened. The quality of grievance redressal should be assessed on the basis of feedback received from complainants. The portal has provisions for obtaining public feedback and monitoring the action being taken by various departments and nodal officers.The chief minister said officials and personnel performing well in grievance redressal should be encouraged, while accountability should be fixed for those found guilty of unnecessary delays or negligence. He said the fundamental objective of the CM Helpline is to establish effective communication between the government and the public and ensure real, time-bound and satisfactory resolution of citizens’ problems.During the review, the chief minister also spoke to several complainants over the phone to ascertain the actual status of their grievances and their redressal.Dhami spoke to Sanjay Kumar Rawat regarding a complaint that had been closed inappropriately. Rawat informed him that medical reimbursement bills related to the treatment of his late father had not been paid. The chief minister directed the concerned officials to take immediate necessary action and ensure payment of the pending medical reimbursement. He said people should not be unnecessarily harassed in such sensitive cases and warned that accountability would be fixed if similar complaints arise in the future.The chief minister also spoke to Baby Kotnala, a resident of Pauri Garhwal, regarding her issue related to destitute women’s pension. She informed him that despite registering a complaint a long time ago, the issue had not been resolved. Dhami directed the District Magistrate, Pauri Garhwal, to take immediate appropriate action and ensure resolution of the matter.
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Dhami also spoke to Haridwar resident Geeta, who informed him that a water tank had been constructed near her house around three months ago, but water supply from the tank had not yet commenced. The chief minister directed the chief development officer, Haridwar, to inspect the site and ensure immediate commencement of the water supply.The chief minister spoke to Dehradun resident Shilpi Saxena, who informed him that a streetlight had been installed in her area within the stipulated timeframe after she lodged a complaint on the CM Helpline. She thanked the chief minister for resolving the issue.Similarly, Almora resident Ayush Bisht informed the chief minister that his complaint related to a scholarship had been resolved by the department. Dhami directed officials to investigate the reasons for the delay in disbursing the scholarship and said students must receive the benefits of government schemes within the prescribed timeframe.