Bengaluru, Jul 2 (PTI) The Karnataka government will start a new department called ‘Praja Seva Department’, which will be headed by a Minister, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Thursday.
Along with that the state government will launch ‘Praja Seva Abhiyana’ where the ministers will hold meetings in their respective districts twice in a month.
“We are starting a new department to listen to people’s grievances. I am also assigning the responsibility for this department to a minister. We are calling it the Praja Seva Department (Public Service Department),” Shivakumar said while briefing reporters about the cabinet meeting.
People can register their grievances, which will be resolved. The department will ensure that these matters reach the officials of the concerned government departments, he added.
The department will also have an IAS officer, who will be the secretary in the department. It will have a team of officers under him.
According to Shivakumar, the applications will be forwarded to the minister concerned, the District In Charge Minister, Deputy Commissioner of the district, or any other authorised officer.
“We will create a system under this department to ensure they are processed,” the CM said.
He also explained about the ‘Praja Seva Abhiyana’ (PSA) where every District In Charge Minister will compulsorily visit two Assembly constituencies and conduct the PSA on the first and third Saturdays of every month.
If those days happen to be government holidays, the visit will be made on the preceding day, he added.
“All ministers, along with the MLAs of the respective districts and constituencies, will participate. They will go there to respond to people’s grievances through this PSA,” Shivakumar explained.
The Chief Minister said counters of all government departments will be set up there, and all officials concerned with that district must be present.
He added that people will be informed in advance about the minister’s visit and the date.
Application forms will also be supplied in advance in the respective taluks, he said, adding that people can fill them out, bring them, and submit them directly at the counters. They may also hand them over to ministers or MLAs.
Explaining the reason behind setting up this new department, he said, “Instead of people travelling to Bengaluru, waiting here, and submitting their grievances, the government itself should go to their doorstep.” He said the objective is that every district minister must spend two days every month visiting the Assembly constituencies assigned to them in their districts.
Shivakumar said he too will undertake similar visits to some Taluks from time to time. PTI GMS GMS ROH
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