Bhubaneswar, 01 June (H.S.): Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday conducted the 18th phase of the public grievance hearing programme at the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell in Unit-2, Bhubaneswar, where he personally listened to citizens’ complaints. Thirteen senior ministers of the state cabinet also participated in the hearing and reviewed various public grievances.

The Chief Minister stated that over the past two years, the state’s grievance redressal mechanism has become an integral part of the administrative system, significantly improving transparency and accountability in governance. He added that the initiative has enabled citizens to directly communicate their issues to the government and administration.

During the session, the Chief Minister first met around 30 persons, including persons with disabilities and critically ill individuals waiting outside the venue, and heard their concerns. He directed officials to take immediate action on their applications. Later, he heard grievances from registered applicants inside the cell.

Medical assistance of ₹3.60 lakh was approved through the single-window system for 13 beneficiaries suffering from serious illnesses. In addition, an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh was sanctioned for Kamakhya Sahoo of Nayagarh district following the accidental death of her son.

A total of more than 600 grievance applications were received through both online and offline modes during the day’s hearing. According to government data, out of 14,651 grievances received across 17 earlier phases, 14,046 cases—around 96%—have already been resolved.

The Chief Minister also announced that the grievance redressal programme will be expanded further. After the summer season, such hearings will also be held in various districts outside Bhubaneswar to reduce the need for people from remote areas to travel to the state capital.

He further noted that district collectors and superintendents of police are regularly addressing public grievances at the district level, while similar mechanisms are active at the tehsil and block levels. By April 2026, approximately 2.40 lakh grievances had been addressed at the district level, with a 92% resolution rate.

The hearing was attended by Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond, Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling, Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik, Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Food Supplies Minister Krushna Chandra Patra, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain, Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, Cooperative Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta, and Fisheries Minister Gokulananda Mallik, along with senior administrative officials.

Senior bureaucrats including Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Hemant Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Shashwat Mishra, and Special Secretary of General Administration Department Suresh Kumar Vashishtha, along with other senior officials, also participated in the grievance redressal process.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda