Deploying information technology in public interest, the State Government has now connected all 27 districts of Chhattisgarh with video-conferencing network.
The network will be utilised for hearing and timely redressal of public grievances. The State Government has fixed district-wise days in the Mantralaya for hearing and timely redressal of public grievances through video-conferencing. This system will enable the officials of Mantralaya to have direct interaction with the applicants. Hence, the applicants will not have to come all the way to Mantralaya in order to convey their grievances, officials stated.On each official working day, public hearing through video conferencing is held from 11 am to 1 pm. Meanwhile, the officials of Public Grievance Redressal Department in Mantralaya connect eight districts of the State to video conferencing network.
Thereafter, the Public Grievance Redressal Department officials present in video conferencing room of National Informatics Centre (NIC) interact with the applicants present in the NIC rooms of Collectorates of respective districts. As per the fixed time-table, hearing for applicants of Durg, Bilaspur, Bastar (Jagdalpur), Raigarh, Rajnandgaon, Sarguja, Bemetara and Balod districts is organised. On Tuesday, Dhamtari, Balod, Kondagaon, Janjgir-Champa, Kanker, Korba, Koriya and Mungeli districts are connected to video conferencing network for public hearing.
On Wednesday, grievances of applicants from Mahasamund, Bilaspur, Balodabazar-Bhatapara, Raigarh, Kabeerdham (Kawardha) Bemetara/Raipur, Sarguja and Balrampur-Ramanujganj are addressed through video conferencing. Public hearing for applicants of Durg, Surajpur, Bastar (Jagdalpur), Kanker, Jashpur, Bijapur and Mungeli on Thursday and hearing for applicants of Dhamtari, Bilaspur, Gariaband, Koriya, Kabeerdham (Kawardha), Rajnandgaon, Sarguja and Balrampur districts are held on Friday.
On Saturday, grievances of applicants from Mahasamund, Dantewada, Bastar (Jagdalpur), Jashpur, Kanker, Korba, Sukma and Narayanpur districts are addressed through video conferencing.The applications collected during the video conference are sorted as per its relevance and are forwarded to district-level officials of departments concerned for redressal. If required, the officials concerned are called to Mantralaya and the applications are redressed in their presence.
In this process, most of the grievances are redressed within three days or in a span of one week. Written applications addressed to Chief Minister or other Higher Officials are also accepted during the video conference. Issues pertaining to irregular supply of ration under PDS, delay in payment of old age pension, delay in payment of SC/ST/OBC scholarship, or any irregularity in distribution of land rights certificates or other welfare schemes of the Government are also taken seriously. In case of retired or expired government employees, applications related to clearance of pension, GPF etc and appointment on compassionate grounds are also redressed.likewise, several other issues including pending public complaints of respective districts are also reviewed by the Government officials through video conference.