Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], September 2 : Over the past two decades, the Gujarat government has been at the forefront of strengthening the link between citizens and the administration. One significant initiative promoting good governance is SWAGAT (State Wide Attention on Grievances by Application of Technology), an online public grievance redressal program, according to a release from the Gujarat Chief Minister's Office (CMO).
The official release said, "In 2003, as the world was gearing up for the digital era, the then-Chief Minister of Gujarat and current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, recognised the potential of technology to bridge the gap between citizens and the government, and introduced the SWAGAT program".
This initiative enables citizens of the state to present their grievances directly to the Chief Minister.
The release said, "Since its launch, SWAGAT has received 15,84,535 complaints from citizens at the state, district, taluka, and village levels, out of which 15,79,002 have been successfully resolved".
"2,39,934 Issues Resolved in 4 Years Under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel's Leadership", said the CMO release.
Under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has been effectively leading the SWAGAT program and resolving citizens' grievances.
Held on the fourth Thursday of every month, the program allows the Chief Minister to personally listen to, review, and take suitable action on public grievances. Notably, under his leadership, a total of 2,39,934 grievances have been successfully resolved over the past four years, the release stated.
A citizen, Bharatbhai Khodiphad from Mahuva in Bhavnagar district, had not officially received ownership of his own plot of land. Mahuva Municipality had acquired nine acres of their land from his grandfather to allot plots to the economically weaker sections. However, the portion of residential land that was due to him was never handed over.
Determined to claim what was rightfully his, Bharatbhai took his proposal to the taluka, then the district, and finally the state authorities, ensuring the house was officially registered in his name.
Bharatbhai shared, "The Chief Minister heard my complaint and instructed the concerned officials to complete the land documentation. Because of his timely intervention, my long-pending issue was resolved, allowing us to process the loan for my children's higher education."
Under SWAGAT Online, complaints are addressed through four levels: State SWAGAT, District SWAGAT, Taluka SWAGAT, and Village SWAGAT. In the State SWAGAT, the Chief Minister personally listens to citizens' grievances. In District SWAGAT, complaints are presented to the District Collector, while in Taluka SWAGAT, citizens submit their issues to the Taluka Officer or an equivalent Class-1 officer. In Village SWAGAT, applications are submitted to the Talati or Minister between the 1st and 10th of each month. After this, they are included in the Taluka SWAGAT and addressed accordingly.
Citizens can also submit complaints to the Chief Minister's Office in person, by mail, or by post. These are forwarded to the relevant department or district officials for appropriate action.
In 2021, the Chief Minister's Office launched the WTC (Write to CMO) online grievance portal, allowing citizens to submit complaints directly online. Through these initiatives, the Gujarat Government continues to ensure an ease of living for its citizens by addressing and resolving their concerns efficiently, the release stated.