Public grievances to now be resolved within a maximum of 45 days Instead of 60: Government orders

In a major step, the Narendra Modi government has reduced the maximum time limit to solve public grievances to 45 days from 60 days at present, following a recommendation to this effect by a parliamentary committee.

The government has received over 2.2 million grievances from the public last year on a portal and has received 1.2 million such complaints already this year on the Centralized Public Grievances Redressal and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). “The CPGRAMS grievances shall be resolved promptly as soon as they are received and maximum within 45 days,” says the latest order issued by the government now. Grievances under the COVID-19 category continue to be treated as a high priority and resolved within 3 days.

The decision follows the CPGRAMS system become more responsive with high rates of disposal and progressive reduction in average disposal time, the order says. “An analysis of grievance disposals in CPGRAMS reveals that about 87% Ministries or Departments have disposed of the grievances in less than 45 days,” the order mentions. A Parliamentary standing committee in March had also recommended that the maximum time limit for grievance redressal be brought down progressively from 60 to 45 days.

Just seven departments accounted for nearly 70 per cent of all complaints received last year, with the highest number of nearly five lakh complaints against the Department of Financial Services and nearly three lakh complaints against the Telecom department. The Department of Posts, Labour and Employment and Central Bureau of Direct Taxes and Railways are the other ministries or departments receiving maximum complaints.