Nitish Kumar launches Public Grievance Redressal Act in Bihar

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today launched the Bihar Public Grievance Redressal Act empowering people to get their grievances redressed within a specific time frame in the state.

“Today is a historic day in the field of governance and administrative reforms as the Bihar Public Grievance Redressal Act is being launched. It was on this day that JP gave a clarion call for total revolution from Patna’s Ganhdi Maidan. Besides, it is World Environment Day,” Kumar said while addressing a gathering at S K Memorial Hall here.

“The Act has empowered people to get their grievances redressed. Now no one can ignore them. They (officers/staff) will have to listen to them and redress their grievances.

“If the grievance cannot be redressed, then the complainant will get a letter citing reasons for not getting the grievance redressed. The complainant can file an appeal if he/she is not satisfied with the answer,” Kumar said.

“I am quite confident that the Act will be fully successful in the state. It will be implemented in the whole of country once it is successful in Bihar,” he said exhorting officials and staff to work for the people.

Kumar inaugurated the State Public Grievances Receiving Centre in Patna, besides the inauguration of 139 Public Grievances Redressal Officer’s Offices and Grievance Receiving Centres in various districts and sub-divisions.

All these Public Grievances Redressal Officers have been given ample powers to get the people’s grievances redressed,he said. Sharing experiences of his weekly Janata Darbar, Kumar said out of 2,77,249 applications he received in his 241 Janata Darbar meetings since April 2006, 2,33,260 applications were disposed off.

“On the basis of my experience of holding Janata Darbar meetings for ten years, I can say people got the opportunity to be heard at police stations, blocks, districts and state headquarters. But, there was no guarantee of their grievances being redressed. Most of the grievances remained unresolved and that used to haunt my mind,” the CM said.