Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi conducted his 20th public grievance hearing at Unit-2 in Bhubaneswar on Monday, providing citizens an opportunity to directly raise their concerns and seek government intervention.
Around 1,000 people who had registered online attended the programme. Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari, Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia and other ministers were also present.
Separate Facility for Persons With Disabilities
A dedicated grievance cell was arranged for persons with disabilities, allowing the Chief Minister to interact with them directly and understand the difficulties they were facing.
Officials from different departments were present to examine complaints and facilitate action on issues that could be addressed immediately.
Financial Assistance Sought by Complainants
Several people approached the grievance hearing seeking financial and medical assistance.
One complainant, Santos Biswal, said he had been unable to walk for several years and was facing difficulties after his disability certificate was reportedly disqualified.
“I have been ill and unable to walk for many years. As my disability certificate has been disqualified, I cannot seek financial assistance. I have come here to request help,” Biswal said.
He also highlighted the difficulties faced by his family following the death of his father and the illness of his elderly mother.
Another complainant, Sanjukta Parida, sought financial assistance for medical treatment, saying she was suffering from serious kidney-related problems and her family was struggling to manage the cost of medicines and household expenses.
CM Says 95% of Earlier Grievances Resolved
Chief Minister Mohan Majhi said the government was giving priority to resolving public grievances and claimed that 95% of issues raised during the previous 19 grievance hearings had been resolved.
“We received over 600 cases. I met the complainants to resolve their issues, and some problems were addressed immediately,” Majhi said.
He directed concerned officials to examine the complaints carefully and take necessary steps to resolve them at the earliest.
Single-Window Support for Health and Disability Cases
The Chief Minister also highlighted the arrangements being made for people with health-related difficulties and persons with disabilities.
According to Majhi, medical teams are providing certification through a single-window system, following which eligible beneficiaries can receive medical assistance and necessary equipment.
He further announced that 16 critically ill patients will receive medical assistance worth Rs 14.50 lakh.
District-Level Grievance Hearings to Continue
Majhi said District Collectors have also been directed to conduct grievance hearings every Monday on a rotational basis across different blocks.
The initiative is intended to take the grievance-redressal mechanism closer to people and reduce the need for citizens to travel to the state capital to raise local issues.
Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari said addressing people’s concerns is an important responsibility of the government and elected representatives.
He said officials were making efforts to resolve eligible cases on the spot, particularly those involving sick people and persons with disabilities.
The latest hearing reflects the Odisha government’s continued focus on direct public interaction and faster resolution of citizen grievances through both state-level and district-level mechanisms.
