TO FIX TIMELINE FOR REDRESSAL OF GRIEVANCES.

F. No. 55/20/2012-P&PW(C)

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, P.G. & Pensions

Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare

*************

3

rd

Floor, Lok Nayak Bhawan,

New Delhi, the 18

th

February, 2013

All Nodal Officers of all Ministries/ Departments

(Web Based Pensioners' Portal)

As per software developed for monitoring of Pension related grievances, all on- line

grievances of pensioners are being fed through web application CPENGRAMS available in the

Pensioners' Portal maintained by Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare and the same

are forwarded online to the concerned Ministries/Departments/Organizations for their redressal.

It has, however, been felt that timely action is not being taken by various Ministries/

Departments/ Organizations for redressal of grievances and same remain pending for unduly

long periods. There is thus need to emphasis upon the concerned officers dealing with these

grievances in your Department for taking timely action on the grievances of pensioners so that

unnecessary delays could be avoided. The regional offices and field officers, wherever they

exist also need to be sensitized in this regard accordingly.

2. Any grievance redress system would be failing in its primary purpose of the minimum

courtesy of acknowledging receipt of a complaint is not observed. As per the guidelines issued

by Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances vide its Office Memorandum No. K

15011/l/2006-PG, dated 22

nd

Ma.y, 2006, an acknowledgement has to be sent immediately and

at the most within a period of three days of the receipt of the grievance and the grievance itself

should be redressed within a maximum period of two months of its receipt. cases where it is

not possible to give immediate reply, an interim reply should be given to the applicant. An

immediate action by the concerned Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations will be steps

towards pensioners' welfare and will go a long way in ameliorating the hardships of

Pensioners. Further, in case it is not feasible to accede to the request made in the petition, a

reasoned reply may be issued to the aggrieved citizen within this stipulated time limit. •

3. As already requested earlier vide this Department's letters No. 41130/2011-P&PW(C)

dated 13.01.2012 and 15.10.2012, you are once again requested to fix the time-line for timely

redressal of grievances as per the guidelines issued by Department of AR&PG (copy enclosed).

A detailed report on the action taken for implementation of these guidelines may also please be

sent to this Department.No. K-15011/1I2006-PG

Govermtlent of India

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances

Sardar Patel Bhawan, Sansad Marg

New Delhi, Dated: May 22, 2006

The undersigned is directed to refer to the consolidated guidelines issued by the Department of

Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances for prompt and effective redress of public grievances. It

has been emphasized that a fully functional redress mechanism needs to be in place in all Ministries of

Government ofIndia and in the Departtnent/Organizations under the Ministries for expeditious redressal

of public grievances. It has further been emphasized that the system of grievance redress mechanism

should be well publicized to ensure that the citizens are aware of the system and can interact with the

Department to settle their grievances. However, complaints still continue regarding the delays and lack of

response.

2. It is now reiterated that the following step may please be taken to ensure that the internal grievance

redress machinery is in order for prompt redressal of grievances of citizens:-

(i) A grievance should be acknowledged immediately and at the most within three days of the

receipt of the grievance. A grievance should be redressed within a period of a maximum of two

months of its receipt. If finalization of a decision on a particular grievance is anticipated to take

longer than two months, an interim reply should invariably be sent.

(ii) In case it is not feasible to accede to the request made in the petition, a reasoned reply may be

issued to the aggrieved citizen within this stipulated time limit.

(ill) Grievances received in the lVlinistriesmay be analyzed periodically at a senior level to identify

grievance prone areas oithe MinistrieslDepartments to adopt systemic changes to eliminate the

causes of grievances.

(iv) Wide publicity of the grievance mechanism available in the Ministry and the names, designation

and address of Director of Public Grievances may be given.

(v) The Director of Public Grievances of the MinistrieslDepartments of Government .of India may

call for the documents of the case and take a decision with the approval of the Secretary of the

Ministry/Head of the Department/Organization if a grievance is not redressed within a period of

three months.

(vi) Every Wednesday may be kept as meeting-less day for the Directors of Public Grievances for

hearing the grievances of the citizens. The feedback mechanism may be ensured for an inbuilt

mechanisms to correct deficiencies.

(vii) In order to promote responsive administration, the system of regular dialogue with user and

citizen groups on grievance redress mechanism and service delivery may be strengthened.softWare(pGRAMS) developed by the Depanment of Administrative Refonns and Public

'e"ances in consultation with.National Infonnatics Centre (NIC) for efficient management of

public grievances may be installed in all IVlinistriesIDepanments of Government of India.

The Department 'of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances with assistance from NIC

has been providing necessary training to officers of different Ministries for better handling of

!!rievancesthrough PGRAMS for effective redressal of grievances of citizens.

e

,. All MinistriesIDepanments are requested to strengthen the Grievance Redress Mechanism to ensure

: effective redressal of public grievances. Action talcen on the issues may be communicated to this

Department.

(Shyamalima Banerjee)

Director (pG)

Tele: 23745472

Directors of Grievances of alllvlinismeslDeparrments

of Government of India