Hyderabad: Panchayat Raj Minister D. Anasuya Seethakka directed officials to resolve Mandal Prajavani grievances locally wherever possible and provide clear responses to every applicant. She said people should not repeatedly visit government offices or travel to district headquarters and Hyderabad for routine issues.
Seethakka issued the directions at the first mandal-level Prajavani programme held at Govindaraopet on Monday. The State Government had decided to take its grievance redressal mechanism closer to residents by conducting Prajavani at the mandal level.
Seethakka said the new system would make grievance redressal more accessible, responsive and efficient. Therefore, officials had to receive every petition systematically and examine the issue without delay.
She directed them to give each applicant a clear response on the action taken. Officials had to immediately address issues that they could resolve at the mandal level. Meanwhile, they had to forward other matters to the appropriate district or State authorities. They also had to inform applicants about the action taken on forwarded petitions.
Mandal Prajavani grievances to get tracking support
Seethakka directed officials to record the mobile number of every applicant without fail. She also ordered dedicated helpdesks at MPDO offices to provide information and assistance. Officials had to tell applicants how much time they expected to take to address their petitions.
Moreover, they had to inform applicants whether they had resolved the matter within that period. If delays occurred, officials had to clearly explain the reasons. The minister ordered an immediate response to emergency grievances and asked officials to initiate necessary action without delay.
For issues requiring district or State intervention, officials had to provide applicants with a progress update within one week. “People should not be made to visit government offices repeatedly for the same issue,” Seethakka said. She asked officials to discharge their responsibilities with sincerity and commitment.
Mandal Prajavani grievances include pension applications
Seethakka directed officials to collect pension applications from eligible single women and widows across all villages by August 31. She said the government had also taken phased measures to extend pensions to other eligible groups.
These categories included persons with disabilities, toddy tappers, handloom workers and thalassemia patients. The minister instructed MPDOs and Tahsildars to ensure that no eligible person missed the opportunity because of inadequate awareness.
Likewise, officials had to prevent eligible people from losing benefits merely because they failed to submit applications on time. Seethakka also asked officials to move beyond their offices and regularly visit remote areas.
They had to visit interior villages and tribal habitations to understand problems directly from residents. The minister said the government had given priority to road development in Pasra, Govindaraopet and Chalvai areas.
She said authorities proposed infrastructure development works worth about ₹50 crore in Scheduled Tribe tandas and tribal habitations. In addition, the government would take phased steps to address problems concerning internal village roads and cement concrete roads.
Seethakka said field visits would help officials identify local needs instead of depending only on petitions received at government offices. Library Institution Chairman Banothu Ravichander attended the programme. Market Committee Chairperson Rega Kalyani also participated.
Tahsildar Srujan Kumar, MPDO Varun Kumar, local public representatives and officials concerned were also present. The mandal-level initiative aimed to ensure that Mandal Prajavani grievances received action at the nearest administrative level wherever possible.