Minister himself calls three citizens to take feedback

Setting a new precedence, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh initiated a telephone feedback mechanism for grievance redressal of the citizens here today. He personally called three complainants chosen on random basis, who had registered their grievances in the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) and their grievances were disposed off. The Minister sought their feedback regarding the response given by the Government to the grievances. These complainants included Shri Vijay V Lambat (Nagpur, Maharashtra) who had complained regarding the refund of money from Income Tax Department. The second person contacted by the Minister was Shri Aravindbabu Pormar from Bangalore. He had complained against Railways and sought refund of money from the Ministry of Railways. The third person contacted was Shri Paladugu Samba Siva Rao from Odisha, who had grievance related to Provident fund with the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The citizens contacted thanked the Minister and the department. They also suggested that the citizens should be contacted once over phone before closing the grievance. The Minister assured that the department is committed to take steps in this direction.

The Minister said that this direct citizen contact through telephone will not only enable us to assess the level of satisfaction received by the complaints after the redressal of grievance, it will also help in offering us valuable inputs required to improve the grievance redressal mechanism. He said that this is in line with the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s dictum of minimum government, maximum governance with citizen centric approach. In the current age of social media and web portal, this approach will also give the citizens a feeling of direct involvement in the government’s grievance redressal mechanism.

The Minister said that in future, he himself will be calling the citizens at random and verify whether their complaints have been disposed off. He also said that the Secretary or senior official from the department will also make call to the citizens to verify the status of grievance. He further informed that during the last one year, ending December 2015, the grievance cell has received nearly 10 lakh complaints as compared to the average of 2-3 lakh yearly complaints earlier. He also expressed his happiness over the fact that nearly 90% complaints are redressed now.

Dr Singh also said that the rising number of grievances being registered by the citizens are an indication of the increasing faith of public in the personal interest in the redressal of grievances of the public by engaging with them over phone. The social media will also be used in the grievance redressal, he added.

Shri Devendra Chaudhry, Secretary, DARPG said that now on an average 1,500 grievances are disposed off in a day and nearly 45,000 grievances in a month. He also said that the department has made a list of more than 12,000 officers across the departments who are being contacted for the redressal of grievances.

The receipts of grievances have increased from about 5 lakhs to about 12 lakhs and at the same time the disposal has also increased from about 4 lakhs to nearly 11 lakh during the period of June, 2014 to February, 2016.

The Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) Portal, a web based portal, has been designed and implemented in all the Ministries / Departments of Government of India. A customized software with local language interface has also been designed for the state governments. This software is called CPGRAMS – States.

The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel has Public Grievances Division which is responsible for issuing policy guidelines coordinating and monitoring of issues regarding redress of public grievances and staff grievances in general and for the central government in particular. The state module of CPGRAMS has been implemented in 9 States/Union Territories namely Haryana, Odisha, Rajasthan, Puducherry, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttrakhand, Jharkhand and Punjab.

The PG Division also coordinates the Citizen Charter and Information and Facilitation Counters (IFCs) initiative of the Government of India. With the objective of improving public service delivery and making governments citizen-centric, an assessment improvement framework called “Sevottam” has been developed. Support is provided to Ministries / Departments and also State Governments to introduce the Sevottam framework for better service delivery.

The Division also provides secretarial support to the Standing Committee for grievances to the Joint Secretary and above level officers headed by the Cabinet Secretary.

PIB

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North Block, New Delhi
Dated the 6th June, 2013

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Representation from Government servant on service matters.

The undersigned is directed to refer to the Ministry of Home Affair’s O.M No.118/52-Ests. dated the 30th April, 1952, O.M No. 25/34/68-Estt.(A) dated the 20th December, 1968 and this Department’s O.M No.11013/07/1999-Estt.(A) dated the 1st November, 1999 (copies enclosed for ready reference) on the above mentioned subject. This Department is receiving a number of representations, on service matters, addressed to the Prime Minister / Minister / Secretary (P) and other officers directly from the Government servants.

2. It has been envisaged in these instructions that whenever, in any matter connected with his service rights or conditions, a Government servant wishes to press a claim or to seek redress of a grievance, the proper course for him is to address his immediate official superior, or the Head of his office, or such other authority at the lowest level as is competent to deal with the matter. Of late, it is observed that there is an increasing tendency on the part of officers at different levels to by-pass the prescribed channels of representation and write directly to the high functionaries totally ignoring the prescribed channels. The problem is more acute in large Departments where often very junior employees at clerical level address multiple representations to the Minster, Prime Minister and other functionaries. Apart from individual representations, the service unions have also developed a tendency to write to the Ministers and Prime Minister on individual grievance. Some of these representations are often forwarded through Members of Parliament, in violation of Rule 20 of the CCS (Conduct) Rule, 1964.

3. Existing instructions clearly provide that representations on service matters should be forwarded through proper channel. The stage at which an advance copy of the representation may be sent to higher authorities has also been indicated. In MHA O.M. No. 25/34/68-Estt.(A) dated 20.12.68 time limits for disposal of various types of representations have been prescribed. If it is anticipated that an appeal or petition cannot be disposed of within a month of its submission, an acknowledgement or interim reply should be sent to the individual within a month.

4. Thus adequate instructions are available in the matter of submission of representations by the Government servants and treatment of the representations by the authorities concerned. As such submission of representations directly to higher authorities by- passing the prescribed channel of communication, has to be viewed seriously and appropriate disciplinary action should be taken against those who violate these instructions as it can rightly be treated as an unbecoming conduct attracting the provisions of Rule 3 (1) (iii) of the CCS (Conduct) Rules. 1964.

5. It is again reiterated that these instructions may be brought to the notice of all Govt. servants and appropriate disciplinary action may be taken against those who violate these instructions.

sd/-
Y.K.Wadhwa)
Under Secretary to the Government of India

Copy of the Office Memorandum No.118/52-Ests. Dated 30th April, 1952

Representations from Government Servants on service matters — advance copies.

Reference are frequently received in this Ministry enquiring whether the submission of advance copies of representations to higher authorities is permissible and as to the treatment that should be accorded to such copies. The matter has been carefully considered and the following instructions are issued for the guidance of al concerned

2. Whenever, in any matter connected with his service rights or conditions, a Government servant wishes to press a claim or to seek redress of a grievance, the proper course for him is to address his immediate superior official, or the Head of office, or such other authority at the lowest level as he is competent to deal with the matter. An appeal or representation to a higher authority must not be made unless the appropriate lower authority has already rejected the claim or refused relief or ignored or unduly delayed the disposal of the case. Representations to still higher authorities (.e.g. those addressed to the President, the Government or to Hon’ble Minister) must be submitted through the proper channel (i.e, the Head of Office, etc. concerned). There will be no objection at that stage, but only at that stage to an advance copy of the representation being sent direct.

3. The treatment by the higher authorities of advance copies of representations so received should be governed by the following general principles —

(a) If the advance copy does not clearly show that all means of securing attention or redress from lower authorities have been duly tried and exhausted, the representation should be ignored or rejected summarily on that ground, the reasons being communicated briefly to the Government servants. If the Government servant persists in this prematurely addressing the higher authorities, suitable disciplinary action should be taken against him.

(b) If the advance copy shows clearly that all appropriate lower authorities have been duly addressed and exhausted, it should be examined to ascertain whether on the facts as stated, some grounds for interference or for further consideration, prima facie exist. Where no such grounds appear, the representation may be ignored or summarily rejected , the reasons being communicated briefly to the Government servant.

(C) Even where some grounds for interference or further consideration appear to exist, the appropriate lower authority should be asked. within a reasonable time, to forward the original representation, with its report and comments on the points urged. There is ordinarily no justification for the passing of any orders on any representation without thus ascertaining the comments of the appropriate lower authority.

4. Some Government servants are in the habit of sending copies of their representations also to outside authorities, i.e. authorities who are not directly concerned with the consideration thereof (e.g. other Honorable Minister, Secretary, Members of Parliament, etc). This is a most objectionable practice, contrary to official propriety and subversive of good discipline and all Government servants are expected scrupulously to eschew it.

Copy of the Office Memorandum No. 25/34/68-Estt.(A) Dated 20.12.1968

Representations from Government servants on service matters — Treatment of

Reference is invited to the Ministry of Home Affairs Office Memorandum No.118/52-Ests. Dated the 30th April, 1952 on the subject mentioned above (copy enclosed for ready reference). It has been brought to the notice of the Ministry of Home Affairs that undue delay occurs very often in the disposal of representations from Government servants in regard to matters connected with the service rights or conditions which causes hardship to the individuals concerned.

2. The representations from Government servants on service matters may be broadly classified as follows :-

(1) Representations/complaints regarding non-payment of salary/allowances or othe dues.

(2) Representations on other service matters,

(3) Representations against the orders of the immediate superior authority: and

(4) Appeals and petitions under statutory rules and orders (e.g. Classification Control and Appeal Rules and the petition Instructions).

3. In regard to representations of the type mentioned at (1) and (2) above, if the individual has not received a reply thereto within a month of its submission, he could address, or ask for an interview with the next higher officer for redress of his grievances. Such superior officer should immediately send for the papers and take such action as may be called for, without delay.

4. Representations of the type mentioned at (3) above, would be made generally only in cases where there is no provision under the statutory rules or orders for making appeals or petitions. Such representations also should be dealt with as expeditiously as possible. ‘The provisions of the preceding paragraph would apply to such representations also, but not to Later representations made by the same Government servant on the same subject after his earlier representation has been disposed off appropriately.

5. In regard to the representations of the type mentioned at (4) above, although the relevant rules or orders do not prescribe a time limit for disposing of appeals and petitions by the competent authority, it should be ensured that all such appeals and petitions receive prompt attention and are disposed within a reasonable time. If it is anticipated that an appeal or a petition cannot be disposed of within a month of its submission, an acknowledgement or an interim reply should be sent to the individual within a month.

6. The instructions contained in paragraph 2 of this Ministry’s Office Memorandum No.118/52-Ests. Dated the 30th April, 1952, will stand modified to the extent indicated in the paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 above.

No.11013/7/99-Estt.(A)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training

New Delhi, dated the 1st November, 1999

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Representation from Government Servants on Service matters.

The undersigned is directed to  refer to the Ministry of Home Affairs O.M.No.118/52-Ests. dated 30th April, 1952 on the subject mentioned above (copy enclosed for ready reference).

2. It has been envisaged in these instructions that whenever, in any matter connected with his service rights or conditions, a Government servant wishes to press a claim or to seek redress of a grievance, the proper course for him is to address his immediate official superior, or the Head of Office, or such other authority at the lowest level as he is competnet to deal with the matter. Of late, it is observed that there has been a tendency on the part of officers at differnet levels to by-pass the prescribed channels of representation and write directly to the high functionaries totally ignoring the prescribed channels. The problem is more acute in large Departments where often very Junior employees at clerical level address multiple representations to the Minister, Prime Minister and other functionaries. Apart from individual representations, the service unions have also developed a tendency to write to the Ministers and Prime Minister on individual grievances. Some of these representations are often forwarded through Members of Parliament, in violation of Rule 20 of the CCS (Conduct) Rule, 1964.

3. Existing instructions clearly provide that representations on service matters should be forwarded through proper channel. The stage at which an advance copy of the representation may be sent to higher authorities has also been indicated. In MHA O.M. No. 25/34/68-Estt.(A) dated 20.12.68 (copy enclosed) time limits for disposal of various types of representations have been prescribed. If it is anticipated that an appeal or petition cannot be disposed of within a month of its submission, an acknowledgement or interim reply should be sent to the individual within a month.

4. Thus adequate instructions are available in the matter of submission of representations by the Government servants and treatment of the representations by the authorities concerned. As such submission of representations directly to higher authorities by- passing the prescribed channel of communication, has to be viewed seriously and appropriate disciplinary action should be taken against those who violate these instructions as it can rightly be treated as an unbecoming conduct attracting the provisions of Rule 3 (1) (iii) of the CCS (Conduct) Rules. 1964.

5. It is again reiterated that these instructions may be brought to the notice of all Govt. servants and appropriate disciplinary action may be taken against those who violate these instructions.

sd/-
(T.O.Thomas)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India

Source: www.pesrmin.nic.in
[http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02est/11013_08_2013-Estt-A-III.pdf]

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The Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare has developed a web-based ‘Pensioners’ Portal’, under the National e-Governance Plan for dissemination of pension related information as well as registration of pensioners’ grievances online. Addressing the media during the National Editors Conference in the Capital, Mr. V. Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office stated that welfare of pensioners and their families is of utmost concern for the Government. The department has on date received 56836  pension grievances and Redressed 38822 cases. More than 17 lakh hits have been received on the pensioner portal.

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F. No. 55/20/2012-P&PW(C)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, P.G. & Pensions
Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare

3rd Floor, Lok Nayak Bhawan,
New Delhi, the 18th February, 2013

To
All Nodal Officers of all Ministries/ Departments
(Web Based Pensioners’ Portal)

Sub: To Fix timeline for redressal of grievances.

As per software developed for monitoring of Pension related grievances, all on- line grievances of pensioners are being fed through web application CPENGRAMS available in the Pensioners’ Portal maintained by Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare and the same are forwarded online to the concerned Ministries/Departments/Organizations for their redressal.  It has, however, been felt that timely action is not being taken by various Ministries/Departments/ Organizations for redressal of grievances and same remain pending for unduly long periods. There is thus need to emphasis upon the concerned officers dealing with these grievances in your Department for taking timely action on the grievances of pensioners so that unnecessary delays could be avoided.  The regional offices and field officers, wherever they exist also need to be sensitized in this regard accordingly.

2. Any grievance redress system would be failing in its primary purpose of the minimum courtesy of acknowledging receipt of a complaint is not observed. As per the guidelines issued by administrative Reforms and Public Grievances vide its Office Memorandum No. K 15011/l/2006-PG, dated 22nd May, 2006, an acknowledgement has to be sent immediately and at the most within a period of three days of the receipt of the grievance and the grievance itself should be redressed within a maximum period of two months of its receipt. cases where it is not possible to give immediate reply, an interim reply should be given to the applicant. An immediate action by the concerned Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations will be steps towards pensioners’ welfare and will go a long way in ameliorating the hardships of Pensioners. Further, in case it is not feasible to accede to the request made in the petition, a reasoned reply may be issued to the aggrieved citizen within this stipulated time limit.

3. As already requested earlier vide this Department’s letters No. 41130/2011-P&PW(C) dated 13.01.2012 and 15.10.2012, you are once again requested to fix the time-line for timely redressal of grievances as per the guidelines issued by Department of AR&PG (copy enclosed). A detailed report on the action taken for implementation of these guidelines may also please be sent to this Department.

Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
(Tripti P. Ghosh)
Director

Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances No. K-15011/1/2006-PG dated 22 May, 2006.

No. K-15011/1/2006-PG
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances

Sardar Patel Bhawan, Sansad Marg
New Delhi, Dated: May 22, 2006

OFFICE MEMRANDUM

Subject: Activating machinery for redress of Public Grievances.

The undersigned is directed to refer to the consolidated guidelines issued by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances for prompt and effective redress of public grievances. It has been emphasized that a fully functional redress mechanism needs to be in place in all Ministries of Government of India and in the Department/Organizations under the Ministries for expeditious redressal of public grievances. It has further been emphasized that the system of grievance redress mechanism should be well publicized to ensure that the citizens are aware of the system and can interact with the Department to settle their grievances. However, complaints still continue regarding the delays and lack of response.

2. It is now reiterated that the following step may please be taken to ensure that the internal grievance redress machinery is in order for prompt redressal of grievances of citizens:-
(i) A grievance should be acknowledged immediately and at the most within three days of the receipt of the grievance. A grievance should be redressed within a period of a maximum of two months of its receipt. If finalization of a decision on a particular grievance is anticipated to take longer than two months, an interim reply should invariably be sent.
(ii) In case it is not feasible to accede to the request made in the petition, a reasoned reply may be issued to the aggrieved citizen within this stipulated time limit.
(iii) Grievances received in the Ministries may be analyzed periodically at a senior level to identify grievance prone areas of the Ministries/Departments to adopt systemic changes to eliminate the causes of grievances.
(iv) Wide publicity of the grievance mechanism available in the Ministry and the names, designation and address of Director of Public Grievances may be given.
(v) The Director of Public Grievances of the Ministries/Departments of Government .of India may call for the documents of the case and take a decision with the approval of the Secretary of the Ministry/Head of the Department/Organization if a grievance is not redressed within a period of three months.
(vi) Every Wednesday may be kept as meeting-less day for the Directors of Public Grievances for hearing the grievances of the citizens. The feedback mechanism may be ensured for an inbuilt mechanisms to correct deficiencies.
(vii) In order to promote responsive administration, the system of regular dialogue with user and citizen groups on grievance redress mechanism and service delivery may be strengthened.

(viii) The software (PGRAMS) developed by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances in consultation with National Informatics Centre (NIC) for efficient management of public grievances may be installed in all Ministries/Departments of Government of India.

(ix) The Department ‘of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances with assistance from NIC has been providing necessary training to officers of different Ministries for better handling of grievances through PGRAMS for effective redressal of grievances of citizens.

All Ministries/Departments are requested to strengthen the Grievance Redress Mechanism to ensure effective redressal of public grievances. Action taken on the issues may be communicated to this Department.

Sd/-
(Shyamalima Banerjee)
Director (PG)

Source: http://pensionerportal.gov.in
[http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D3/D03ppw/Cpengram1_180213.pdf]

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Members participating in the meeting of Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Comprehensive Amendment in Labour Laws have urged the government for the effective and speedy implementation of labour laws along with the timely redressal of Grievances. In meeting held yesterday the members raised the issue of Child labour Laws alongwith the Contract Labour Law reforms. Union Labour & Employment Minister Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, who chaired the meeting assured the members for due consideration on the issue raised.

Welcoming the members the minister the minister said Labour being a subject in the Concurrent List where both Central and State Governments are competent to enact legislations. Ministry of Labour & Employment is presently administering 44 Labour Laws catering to diverse subjects, namely, occupational health & safety, employment services, training of apprentices, skill development, minimum wages, social security, industrial dispute, labour welfare, child labour etc. He said the Ministry has been reviewing various labour laws from time to time and taking action towards amendment of the labour laws keeping into consideration the changes in the socio economic scenario and the requirements of the workers in organized as well as in the unorganized sector.

Shri Mallikarjuna Kharge informed the members that last few years, amendments have been carried out in Payment of Wages Act, 1936 enhancing ceiling of workers from Rs.1,600/- to Rs.6,500/- per month and subsequently to Rs.10,000/- per month, Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, wherein the calculation ceiling and eligibility limit under the Act has been enhanced from Rs.2,500/- to Rs.3,500/- and from Rs.3,500/- to Rs.10,000/- per month respectively.

The Apprentices Act, 1961 has been amended to provide reservation for other backward classes. The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 has been amended to enhance the medical bonus from Rs.250/-to Rs.1000/- and also empowering the Central Government to further increase it to maximum of Rs.20,000/- through Gazette Notification.

The Workmen’s Compensation Act has been amended to make it gender neutral and it is now called “the Employees’ Compensation Act, 1923. Besides this, the Compensation in case of death, disablement and funeral expense paid under the Act have also been enhanced. The Plantation Labour Act, 1951 has been amended to provide safety and occupational health care to plantation workers.

The minister said his Ministry has amended the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 to improve the quality of delivery of benefits under the scheme and also to enable ESI infrastructure to be used to provide health care to workers of the unorganized sector. The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 has been amended to enhance ceiling on gratuity from Rs.3.5 lakh to Rs.10 lakh and to cover the teachers in educational institutions.

Also, the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 has been amended to amplify the term “appropriate Government” defined under section 2(a) of the Act. The wage ceiling for coverage under the Act has been enhanced from Rs.1600/- to Rs.10,000/- per month to cover workmen working in supervising capacity. The amended provisions also provide direct access for the workman to the Labour Court or Tribunal.

Shri Kharge also informed that the Government has also introduced Bills in Parliament for Amendment in the following Labour Acts: –

(i) The Mines Act, 1952.
(ii) The Labour Laws (Exemption from Furnishing Returns and Maintaining Registers by Certain Establishments) Act, 1988.
(iii) The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulations of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979.
(iv) The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986.

It was also highlighted that other major Labour Acts which are under various stages of consideration for amendments are: –

(i) The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment & Conditions of Services) Act, 1996
(ii) The Factories Act 1948,
(iii) The Minimum wages Act 1948,
(iv) The Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1952,
(v) The Apprentice Act 1961
(vi) The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act 1970
(vii) The Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959.

Shri Khrge solicited members cooperation & guidance in the formulation of amendments as well review of Labour Laws in the course of discussions. Shri Mangala Kisan (BJD) & Shri Ram Sunder Das (SP) were the members who participated in the dissussions. Besides, the Minister of State in the Labour & Employment Ministry Shri K.Suresh, Dr. Mrutunjay Sarangi, Secretary Labour & Employment and senior officers from the ministry were present in the meeting.

PTI

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