Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday issued instructions to district administrations during the 'Swagat' programme to ensure the timely, judicial, and impartial resolution of citizens’ grievances. During the monthly State Swagat online public grievance redressal hearing, more than 110 complainants from across the state appeared before the Chief Minister.
Officials stated that a total of 1,335 representations were taken up across district-level Swagat hearings, with instructions issued for necessary action and follow-up. While hearing cases, the Chief Minister emphasised that administrative responsibility must continue until each grievance is resolved, not end with the transfer of a file between departments.
He said that accountability must be maintained at every stage until a citizen’s issue is fully resolved. He also directed district administrations to ensure that citizens are not inconvenienced due to a lack of coordination between departments. Referring to issues arising from online governance systems, he instructed officials to ensure that technical or procedural shortcomings do not result in delays or hardship to the public.
In one case from Panchmahal district, an application submitted through the iORA portal for permission to sell agricultural land was repeatedly transferred between departments without resolution. Taking serious note of the delay, the Chief Minister directed the district collector to ensure that such procedural movement does not result in pendency and that applicants are not subjected to unnecessary hardship due to system inefficiencies.
In Bharuch district’s Jhagadia taluka, a farmer raised the issue of non-payment of compensation for land acquired under the Karjan reservoir project, despite approval of the award. The Chief Minister directed that compensation be paid within 10 days and ordered that responsibility be fixed on officials responsible for the delay.
In another direction, the Chief Minister instructed the police department to take strict action against individuals involved in financial fraud cases in which citizens were allegedly deceived with fake documents. He said such offences require firm enforcement action to prevent recurrence.
In Mehsana district, farmers submitted collective representations regarding discrepancies in land records following resurvey and changes in the recorded land area. The Chief Minister directed district officials to complete verification and ensure the timely correction of land records after measurement.
"Shifting files between tables does not constitute resolution of responsibility, and officials must ensure final disposal of grievances with clear accountability until closure," he said.