Bhubaneswar – For the first time in 16 years, the Odisha Chief Minister’s Grievance Chamber was opened to the public, allowing citizens to present their issues directly to the new Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. The last visit to the chamber by a chief minister was by former CM Naveen Patnaik in 2008.
On the reopening day, a large number of people from across Odisha gathered in Bhubaneswar to present their grievances. Long queues formed early in the morning, with over 300 complaints registered by 11 AM. Chief Minister Majhi, along with Deputy CM KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, personally listened to the issues raised by the citizens.
The Odisha government has mandated the resumption of public grievance hearings in all departments and at the district level. These hearings will be held every Monday, excluding government holidays, from 11 AM to 1:30 PM. By 2 PM on the first day, 350 out of 1,550 registered complaints had been heard, prompting an extension of the hearing session.
An official from the General Administration and Public Grievance Department highlighted the personal involvement of Chief Minister Majhi and his colleagues in addressing the complaints, marking a significant shift from the previous administration’s approach. Analysts noted that former CM Patnaik’s administration had become detached from the public, relying on bureaucrats to handle grievances, which led to growing public disillusionment and was reflected in the election results.
Another analyst highlighted, “The former administration had delegated the grievance hearing responsibilities to Patnaik’s private secretary and former 5T Chairman V K Pandian. Despite extensive tours and claims of addressing thousands of grievances, the issues largely remained unresolved, diminishing the credibility of the previous government.”
The reopening of the grievance cell is seen as a positive step by the new BJP-led government to reconnect with the public. Retired government employee Tapan Kumar Parida expressed hope that the new administration would work for the welfare of all citizens and ensure that bureaucrats become more proactive and people-friendly.
On the first day, around 5,000 people visited the grievance chamber, with 1,540 complaints registered.