The Karnataka state cabinet on Saturday approved the creation of a first-ever grievance redressal department, named the Prajaseva Department, to directly receive and address public complaints. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that district ministers will now be required to visit every assembly segment in their districts regularly and hold public grievance redressal meetings.
Structure and Leadership of Prajaseva Department
The department will function under a dedicated minister and a senior IAS officer, ensuring focused attention on resolving citizen issues. Shivakumar clarified that the department would not merely act as a communications channel but would actively work towards resolving public grievances. "People often submit memorandums and representations, seeking solutions to their problems. These are presented either directly to the govt or through the ministers. People also submit their demands while staging protests. The minister in charge of the Prajaseva Department will now review all such applications and take steps to resolve those," Shivakumar explained. He further emphasized that the department cannot simply postpone decisions on grievances but must work towards resolutions.
Weekly Public Outreach by District Ministers
District in-charge ministers will be responsible for resolving public grievances in coordination with the new department. They will have to visit at least one assembly constituency within their jurisdiction every week and hold "Jana Samparka" (public outreach) meetings in coordination with local MLAs. This initiative is part of Shivakumar's effort to craft a people-centric image as the new CM and is expected to help the government shake off anti-incumbency believed to have accumulated over the last three years.
NRI Department Proposal Deferred
The cabinet deferred the proposal to establish a department to address issues of NRIs, as ministers felt there was a need to expand its scope beyond Kannadigas based abroad. Instead, they suggested the department be granted a broader mandate to attract foreign investment to Karnataka and promote the state's image globally. "The cabinet felt that more time was needed to establish a dedicated department to take Karnataka to the world," health and family welfare minister U T Khader told TOI.
Key Features of the Prajaseva Department
- Dedicated minister and senior IAS officer to head the new unit
- District in-charge ministers to hold weekly ‘Jana Samparka' meetings in assembly segments
- Department to track and resolve complaints, not merely receive representations
- Cabinet puts NRI department proposal on hold, seeks a broader global outreach mandate
