Bhubaneswar, June 1: The Odisha government has resolved 14,046 of the 14,651 complaints received directly at the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell during the previous 17 hearing sessions, achieving an impressive resolution rate of 96 percent.
The achievement was highlighted during the 18th round of the Chief Minister’s Public Grievance Hearing Programme held in Bhubaneswar on Monday, where Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring prompt and transparent resolution of citizens’ concerns.
The 18th edition of the Chief Minister’s Public Grievance Hearing Programme was held on Monday at the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell in Unit-II, Bhubaneswar. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi personally heard the grievances of citizens and reviewed their concerns in the presence of senior government officials.
Thirteen ministers, along with the Additional Chief Secretary, departmental secretaries, and other senior officers, participated in the hearing and interacted directly with complainants.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister stated that the grievance redressal mechanism has become an integral part of Odisha’s administrative system within the last two years. He emphasized that the government’s citizen-centric initiative has significantly improved accessibility between the public and the administration.
The Chief Minister noted that the state government is nearing the completion of two years in office, during which the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell has become fully operational. Including Monday’s session, the Chief Minister has conducted 18 grievance hearings. Besides these formal sessions, he has also received complaints directly from citizens during his visits to various districts.
According to official data, district-level grievance hearings have become a regular feature across Odisha. Collectors and Superintendents of Police are conducting hearings on a routine basis, while grievance redressal systems are also functioning effectively at the block and tehsil levels. By the end of April, nearly 2.40 lakh complaints had been heard across districts, with 92 percent successfully resolved.
The Chief Minister highlighted that these efforts have reduced the difficulties previously faced by citizens in getting their complaints addressed and have strengthened public trust in the government.
As in previous sessions, Chief Minister Majhi first met 30 persons with disabilities and individuals suffering from serious illnesses who were waiting outside the grievance cell. He listened to their concerns, accepted their petitions, and directed officials to take immediate action.
During the hearing, the Chief Minister approved medical assistance worth ₹3.60 lakh for around 13 complainants suffering from various illnesses through the state’s single-window support system. He also sanctioned compassionate financial assistance of ₹2 lakh to Kamakshi Sahu of Nayagarh district following the accidental death of her son.
More than 600 complaints were received through both online and offline modes during the day’s hearing.
Addressing the media, the Chief Minister said that the programme has enabled ordinary citizens to communicate their problems directly to the government and administration. He added that the frequency of hearings has been somewhat reduced due to the prevailing summer heatwave but assured that the initiative would be expanded further after the summer season.
The Chief Minister also announced plans to organize grievance hearing programmes in various districts outside Bhubaneswar. This will help people from remote areas access the grievance redressal system without incurring travel expenses or facing inconvenience.
The administration will reach out to the people and listen to their problems at their doorstep, he said.
