West Bengal will open dedicated grievance redressal cells across all its urban local bodies to ensure that citizens’ complaints on civic issues are promptly addressed and resolved, state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul said on Tuesday.
The grievance cells will function from 10 am to 6 pm, with nodal officers assigned to receive complaints and monitor their resolution, Paul said.
“We are making arrangements so that, from now on, the grievance cell will be responsible for this. The grievance cell will remain open from 10 am to 6 pm,” Paul said.
The move will cover the state’s 121 municipalities and notified area authorities and seven municipal corporations, through which urban governance is administered.
Paul said the decision followed complaints from citizens who were unable to reach officials over the telephone or had faced rude behaviour when their calls were answered.
“We do not want that. People must speak politely and courteously,” she said.
A nodal officer will be available during the working hours to oversee the grievance cell and ensure that complaints are followed up, she said, adding that the system would also reduce the need for citizens to approach officials personally.
“Merely registering a complaint is not enough; the problem must also be resolved,” Paul said.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation had a grievance redressal system in place with a dedicated number as well as a WhatsApp Chatbot that would let residents list out their complaints regarding civic issues, a senior KMC official told The Statesman on Tuesday.
Paul also referred to the urban development and municipal affairs department’s ‘Mukhomukhi’ (Face-to-Face) programme, under which citizens can directly raise complaints related to civic and municipal services with the minister.
“Mukhomukhi has met with great success. We are getting regular calls from various areas and are resolving the complaints as swiftly as possible. The grievance cells at the urban local body level will also help in reducing pressure on this outreach programme too,” Paul said.
This programme is held three days a week — Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday — and provides citizens with a direct channel to bring issues to the minister’s notice.
Complaints received through the programme are referred to the concerned departments of a civic body for necessary action.