Grievance Redressal Mechanism- Pain that needs to be made a Boon

  To make it work in the true spirit, grievance redressal needs to be strengthened at Mandal and Panchayat levels

“The public Grievance Redressal Mechanism is part and parcel of day to day activities of any District administration. In fact, the grievance redressal mechanism of the District Administration is the gauge to measure its efficiency and effectiveness as it provides important feedback on the working of the administration.”

Well, we have been looking at all such statements most of the time in various articles and government websites. But what interests me is in looking at the need for such and how does it gain so much importance at one level and no such at another level. After being in the district for more than twelve months and attending more than twenty grievance days (Mondays as usual J ), i have learnt that bureaucracy tends to centralise and bring the focus on to themselves which usually the politicos do.

 Ranging from a ration card, bore well repair to sanction of an Indiramma house, untimely disbursal of widow and disability pensions, there are several kinds of grievances which most of us might have encountered during the grievance days. Collectorates and ITDAs crowded with the people forming long queues waiting for the lords to resolve their issues.

In one of the grievances when i was new to the district, I’ve come across an old woman requesting people to write the grievance on behalf of her (she being an illiterate) and thereafter struggling to get her grievance registered and stamped. Meanwhile, curious to know her details, i had a brief interaction with her on whereabouts and the grievance. With a tormented face, she replied that she has not been receiving pension from the past few months and is finding it difficult. When inquired if she ever tried to get it resolved at her village as well as Mandal level, and did she ever try the helpline?.  the answer was No. Further, i’ve asked her what made her think that the problem gets solved coming down here travelling and spending a quarter of her monthly pension amount. She replied that this is the only place she knows where grievances will be solved for sure.

For that moment, i was amazed by the importance of a grievance day by the administration and was all praise for it. After looking at several such grievance days, i started thinking if this hyped system at the top has widened so much that it shadowed the next levels of grievance redressal mechanisms. Ideally, the issues which are to be resolved at the Village and Mandal level are allowed to be carried to the level of the district administration. Just that the decreasing number of wage seekers in MGNREGA (usual ideal conditions) indicates development but not under-performance, similarly decrease in number of petitioners on the grievance day at district level is not really bad. There is a need for decentralised grievance redressal mechanism by the administrative staff at Panchayat and Mandal levels involving the politicos of the same level. Strengthening the grievance redressal mechanism at the Panchayat level makes sense rather than centralising the control with the lords who are not approachable, patient and sensitive enough to listen to the grievances of an individual.

Only few bureaucrats actually have this line of thinking and i am lucky enough to work with one such who had the fortitude and determination to tell the people (women members of a society formed) not to enter his office asking him for resolving the issues for which they have the powers with themselves as well as the mechanism to take up such. For a moment, the community members did not take it positively for not responding accordingly. But the official made a point not to increase the "dependency on bureaucrats" by bluntly answering them and thereafter convincing them that they(people) are the rulers and bureaucrats (like him) exist only to facilitate and serve them holding the true meaning of a public servant. The official never cared to glorify himself and his tenure by pleasing the people and thereby destroying the systems established. 

It is not about establishing decentralised systems, as they already exist. It is more to do with strengthening them with adequate monitoring. People might disagree with me for the fact that decentralised system dysfunctioning led to centralised system. But we forget the fact that it is only the decentralisation which can bring greater accountability amongst the administrators and assurance to the people.

It is expected that the time bound services bill may change the scenario having grievance officers at all levels. I believe that as long as the higher level bureaucracy do not work on decentralisation and infact tend to make things work only at their level which will add to their personal glory, there cannot be a systemic overhaul of administrative responsiveness at all levels which is very much required.

By the way, the old woman returned with a sense of confidence after giving her petition and i hope she might have been receiving her pension from then.

P.S: Its been quite long that i have written a blog.. I thought its time to open my mind to put in writing not just to share but to hone my writing skills too ;)