Govt sets up national monitoring dashboard on COVID-19 grievances

It aims to ensure timely redress of COVID-19 grievances. Directions have been issued to all ministries and departments to prioritize these grievances and provide redress in three days.

The grievances monitored by a technical team of Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) which developed the dashboard and implemented it at https://darpg.gov.in. DARPG is the nodal agency of the Central government for administrative reforms as well as redress of public grievances relating to the states in general and those pertaining to Central Government agencies in particular.

Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh on Wednesday launched the dashboard through video conferencing facility. The dashboard was developed by DARPG in pursuance of the recommendations of the 10 Empowered Group of Officers constituted under the Disaster Management Act 2005 on Public Grievances and Suggestions to ensure timely implementation of COVID 19 response activities.

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said: "It is the endeavour of the Modi government to ensure timely redress of COVID 19 grievances and directions have been issued to all ministries and departments to prioritize these grievances and provide redressal in a period of three days."

Singh said he had personally reviewed the status of 262 grievances of Central Government and 83 grievances of state governments received on day one, and directed officers in the DARPG to pursue with the ministries and state governments. On Day 1 of the launch, the dashboard received 43 grievances of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 31 grievances of Ministry of External Affairs and 26 grievances of Ministry of Finance.

The nature of grievances related to quarantine facilities, lockdown not being adhered to complaints, essential supplies related complaints, examination related complaints, rescheduling of interest repayments on loans, evacuation requests from foreign countries.

The portal will be updated and monitored at senior levels in government on a daily basis. The Minister said that it was a feather in the department's cap that within two days, the national monitor was operationalized and 62 citizens' grievances were redressed.