New Delhi :The Centre has asked all its departments to strive to redress pensioners’ grievances within 21 days, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.
In the cases where redressal of grievances requires more time, an interim reply may be furnished, it said.
The central government has issued comprehensive guidelines after reviewing its pensioners’ grievance redressal mechanism, i.e., Centralized Pension Grievances Redress and Monitoring System (CPENGRAMS), a portal.
The guidelines envisage expeditious and efficient redressal of the grievances, said the statement issued by the Personnel Ministry.
“Ministries/departments should strive to redress the pensioners’ grievances within 21 days. In the cases, where redressal of the grievances requires longer time, an interim reply may be furnished on the portal,” read one of the highlights of the comprehensive guidelines for handling central government pensioners’ grievances.
The grievance shall be redressed under ‘whole of the government approach’, it said.
In no case, grievance shall be closed summarily by stating, ‘it does not pertain to this office’, the statement said.
The grievance shall not be closed without its conclusive redressal and the Action Taken Report (ATR) should be filled in with the supporting information and documents at the time of closure of grievance, it added.
“Ministries/departments shall undertake monthly review of pension related grievances, pending on the portal to ensure the qualitative redressal of grievances within the prescribed time limit,” the statement said.
The nodal public grievance officers have been asked to “analyse the trend of grievances and conduct a root cause analysis to check the incidence of grievances”, it added.
According to the guidelines, an applicant can file an appeal against the redressal of his grievance within 30 days of closure of the grievance and it shall be disposed of within 30 days by the Appellate Authority. A speaking order shall be passed, attaching relevant documents, if any, the statement said.
“The grievance applications, filed in the physical form with the ministry/department, shall be uploaded on the CPENGRAMS portal to ensure proper monitoring of these grievances” it added.
In another statement, the Personnel Ministry said that the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) under it is all set to achieve the mid-campaign 100 per cent progress of the ongoing special campaign 4.0.
This campaign is part of the government’s commitment for institutionalising ‘Swachhata’ and minimising pendency in government offices.
Special Campaign 4.0 is implemented on digitisation, improving/enhancing office spaces, timely scrap disposal, weeding/preservation of office records, inclusivity measures and environment friendly activities, the statement said. “DARPG has preserved historical records and has organised an exhibition in collaboration with National Archive of India (NAI) showcasing historical documents preserved in DARPG earlier,” it added.
As of mid-October 2024, 800 public grievances have been addressed, contributing to the improvement of service delivery and enhancing public satisfaction, the statement said.
The DARPG has adopted the use of AI-enabled tools for better grievance tracking and resolution in the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) and has seen a marked improvement in the speed and accuracy of grievance redressal during the campaign, it added.
“DARPG has initiated weeding of files, marking the beginning of enhanced record management and reinforcing the commitment to a clutter-free and efficient office premise. So far, over 4,100 files have been reviewed, and 800 files identified for weeding/closure,” the statement said.
These files were identified as outdated, irrelevant, or redundant as per the record retention schedule and were subsequently weeded out or closed. This activity aimed to de-clutter office spaces, it added.
The special campaign 4.0 has emphasised sustainability through the promotion of e-waste disposal mechanisms.
“Outdated files, redundant materials, and unused office equipment have been disposed of systematically. DARPG disposed of electronic waste (e-scrap) as part of the campaign. A revenue of Rs 67,625 has also been earned from e-scrap disposal. Additionally, approximately 110 square feet of space was cleared in the process, enhancing the efficiency and organisation of office facilities,” the statement said.
With the special campaign 4.0 ongoing until October 31, 2024; the DARPG aims to further intensify its efforts in ensuring cleanliness, enhancing efficiency, and addressing the remaining pendency, it added.