Bhubaneswar: In a historic move to bridge the gap between the public and government in Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi resumed hearing public grievances on Monday, marking his first such initiative in 17 years. The event took place at the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell at Unit 5 in Bhubaneswar, signaling a new era of direct communication and problem-solving between the state’s administration and its citizens.
CM Majhi, along with Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Ministers Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, Pradeep Bal Samant, and Krushna Chandra Mohapatra, listened to the grievances of scores of people.
A total of 1,540 complaints were registered, with more than 5,000 people thronging the grievance cell on the first day of the public grievance hearing.
As the Chief Minister listened to the grievances, he immediately instructed officials to resolve the issues. More than a thousand people presented their problems to the Chief Minister and other ministers.
Among the complainants was an elderly woman, Saraswati Tripathy, whose children had usurped her property and thrown her out of the house. The Chief Minister promptly instructed the police department to deliver speedy justice.
Another individual, Satyajit from Jajpur, sought assistance for his daughter, who is suffering from thalassemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. The Chief Minister ordered officials to arrange the treatment and directed necessary financial assistance.
Many others, including people with disabilities and elderly individuals, left the grievance cell with positive hopes for solutions after receiving assurances from the Chief Minister.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister remarked on the previous government’s barrier between the public and the administration. “Today, the iron wall has come down… And a direct communication between the people and the government has been established,” he said.
Chief Minister Majhi emphasized that public grievance hearings have resumed at the district level, stating, “Listening to the people and trying to find a solution is an utmost priority in a democracy.”
He also mentioned that the process of public grievance hearings will be further strengthened and made more efficient. “Along with me, the Deputy Chief Minister and members of the Council of Ministers have also extended cooperation in reviving public grievance hearings. If this continues, officials at the district level will give priority and solve the problems of the people,” CM Majhi added.
The Odisha CM hopes that complaints will decrease at the state level as problems could be resolved at the district level. He expressed hope that about 99 percent of grievances received in today’s hearing will be resolved.
Extensive arrangements were made by the GA&PG and I&PR Departments at the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell for public convenience.