By: Afaq Bhat
Srinagar: The grievance redressal system in Jammu and Kashmir has been revamped during the past few months. Now, the people can register their complaints through online mode or over telephone.
The new grievance redressal system— Jammu and Kashmir Integrated Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (JK-IGRAMS)–was unveiled in J&K in September last year with an aim to create an interface with the public and focus on governance issues in the Union Territory.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha while launching the JKIGRAMS had stated that it’s a step towards gaining peoples trust and it will be an effective mechanism, which is the life and blood of any good governance system. “A common citizen wants a sympathetic, courteous, responsive, and helpful administrative set-up,” Sinha had said.
The Lieutenant Governor had launched the new system just within a month of him taking over the reins of the Union Territory. “There is no doubt about the fact that grievance redressal mechanism in J&K has improved and the administration has become more accessible. But still lot needs to be done to improve the system,” an observer told Precious Kashmir.
He said, “After the system has changed people don’t stand in long queues with applications to get their problems solved. They can access the online portals and file their complaints. Officials do take the cognizance of the complaints and pass it onto the concerned departments.”
He said, “Sometimes concerned departments do work on the complaints and on a few occasions nothing is done. This loop hole needs to be plugged and the grievance redressal should not remain confined to how many complaints have been received and how many have been forwarded.”
An official said, “The grievance redressal systems active in J&K are being monitored by the higher ups directly. Clear cut instructions have been passed to the field staff and the concerned departments to ensure that people don’t face any inconvenience. Maximum complaints are dealt with urgency and nothing is taken for granted.”
“In October 2020, Jammu and Kashmir Grievance system was integrated with the Central grievance portal to ensure prompt action. J&K was the first Union Territory to have its district-level grievance offices integrated with the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) portal,” the official added.
He claimed that during the past one year many such complaints that were pending for years have been addressed. “The new grievance redressal system is helping the government to get direct feedback from the ground. The administration is working to make the grievance redressal system best in the country.”
