Over 26,000 unresolved complaints against the Delhi bureaucracy
Amidst the grievances piling up against the Delhi government, Chief Secretary M. M. Kutty found that there were over 26,000 unresolved complaints in Delhi's public grievance cell. Annoyed at the inefficiency of the bureaucracy, he ordered bureaucrats and respective heads of departments to resolve the issues, some of which date back several months.
Delhi government and Delhi Police trade blows
In February 2015, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had claimed that most of the complaints registered by the public grievance cell were against the Delhi Police. The Delhi Police, in turn, claimed that the state government was falsely accusing them.
Delhi's public grievance cell
The Public Grievances Commission was formed in 1997 to provide a platform to the public so that they could voice opinions about the problems they faced in dealing with the bureaucracy. However, to the shock of Chief Secretary M. M. Kutty, the public grievance cell under the current regime had been largely neglected despite being personally monitored by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Public grievance cell not a priority anymore
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, apart from taking personal responsibility for monitoring the public grievance cell, had appointed additional officials to ensure time-bound resolution of complaints. According to sources, however, the public grievance cell slowly slipped into neglect and complaints started piling up.
Bureaucrats blame delay on complexity of redressal
The Delhi bureaucrats stated that the complaints had piled up as they concern several departments. The public grievance cell's jurisdiction not only includes all government departments, but also government organizations, public undertakings, the municipal corporations of Delhi and New Delhi, the Delhi Police, and all other fully or partially state government-funded institutions. The average time for redressal is between 7 to 15 working days.
