Over two lakh grievances have been received against two Ministries between 2018 and 2020. Besides, one to two lakh grievances have been received against four ministries/departments and 50,000 to one lakh grievances received against eight Ministries during the same period.
Expressing concern over the large number of grievances, a Parliamentary Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice in its 106th report on Demands for Grants (2021-22) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has asked the Centre to constitute social audit panels to identify core grievance-prone areas and streamline their systems. As regards the redressal of grievances by states/UTs, the Committee noted that the percentage of grievance disposal is not satisfactory.
In its recent report, the panel recommended to the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) to progressively bring down the maximum time limit for grievance redressal from 60 to 45 days.
“The Committee recommends the Department to instruct the ministries/departments of central government to constitute social audit panels to identify core grievance prone areas and streamline their systems accordingly,” the committee said. The Government of India has established the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), an online system for grievance redressal.
This system facilitates citizens to lodge their grievances to ministries/ departments/ organisations/ state governments/ UTs, which scrutinise and take action for speedy and favourable redress of these grievances.
A separate work flow and functionality for grievances to appeal authorities in CPGRAMS has been operationalised in CPGRAMS. The time line for resolution of an appeal by the nodal appellate authority is 30 days of receipt of the same, according to the report. The Committee appreciated the department for institutionalizing an appellate mechanism in CPGRAMS.
The Committee also emphasizes that the department should publicise the portal through all possible means including the print and electronic media so that the benefits of the grievance redressal mechanism percolate down to those at the bottom of the pyramid, it said.
The Committee also recommends the department to develop an Interactive Voice Response System for registration of grievances for the benefit of people who inhabit remote areas and have no proper access to the internet, the report said.