To Fix timeline for redressal of pensioner grievances

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

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, P.G. & Pensions

Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare

3rd Floor, Lok Nayak Bhawan,

New Delhi, the 18th February, 2013

To

All Nodal Officers of all Ministries/ Departments

(Web Based Pensioners' Portal)

Sub: To Fix timeline for redressal of grievances.

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 22nd May, 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.

Yours faithfully,

Sd/-

(Tripti P. Ghosh)

Director

Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances No. K-15011/1/2006-PG dated 22 May, 2006.

No. K-15011/1/2006-PG

Government 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

OFFICE MEMRANDUM

Subject: Activating machinery for redress of Public Grievances.

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 of India and in the Department/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.

(iii) Grievances received in the Ministries may be analyzed periodically at a senior level to identify grievance prone areas of the Ministries/Departments 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 Ministries/Departments 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.

(viii) The software (PGRAMS) developed by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances in consultation with National Informatics Centre (NIC) for efficient management of public grievances may be installed in all Ministries/Departments of Government of India.

(ix) 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 grievances through PGRAMS for effective redressal of grievances of citizens.

All Ministries/Departments are requested to strengthen the Grievance Redress Mechanism to ensure effective redressal of public grievances. Action taken on the issues may be communicated to this Department.

Sd/-

(Shyamalima Banerjee)

Director (PG)

Source: http://pensionerportal.gov.in

[http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D3/D03ppw/Cpengram1_180213.pdf]