Udupi: The government’s Praja Seva Andolana is aimed at taking administration closer to people, hearing their grievances at their doorstep and providing solutions without forcing citizens to make repeated visits to government offices, said Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister and Udupi district in-charge minister Rizwan Arshad.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Udupi taluk-level Praja Seva Andolana meeting at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Auditorium in the Deputy Commissioner’s Office Complex at Rajathadri, Manipal, on Wednesday.

Meetings to be held at taluk and hobli levels

Rizwan Arshad said the government exists to serve the people and citizens should not have to wait for weeks or months to access government services.

Under the initiative, Praja Seva Andolana meetings will be conducted at the taluk level on the first and third Saturdays and at the hobli level on the second and fourth Saturdays.

The meetings will be held in the presence of officials concerned so that grievances can be examined and addressed at the appropriate level.

The minister said district in-charge ministers would participate in the meetings and ensure that public grievances are addressed at the earliest.

He added that Deputy Commissioners would follow up on applications every Wednesday in the presence of senior officials. Each application would be examined seriously and forwarded to the concerned department. The applicant would also be informed about the status of the application and the action taken.

Udupi meeting postponed due to Janmashtami celebrations

Explaining the timing of the Udupi meeting, Rizwan Arshad said the statewide launch of the Praja Seva Andolana was held on September 5 in Vijayanagara under the leadership of Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

However, September 5 coincided with Krishna Janmashtami and Vitla Pindi celebrations in Udupi. The meeting in Udupi district was therefore postponed to facilitate greater public participation.

The minister said the objective was to ensure that people could attend the grievance-redressal programme without being inconvenienced by the major local celebrations.

208 applications submitted

As many as 208 applications were submitted during the Udupi taluk-level meeting.

The applications covered a range of public issues, including land phodi and records, allocation of government land, access pathways to agricultural land, houses and sites, drainage facilities, lake development, Gruha Jyothi and other matters.

Rizwan Arshad heard the grievances directly and instructed the officials concerned to take prompt action.

The minister stressed that the initiative should not merely become a platform for receiving applications but should result in timely action and communication to applicants.

Special Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru on September 18

Rizwan Arshad also said a special Cabinet meeting would be held in Mangaluru on September 18 with the objective of promoting the overall development of the coastal region.

The meeting is expected to focus on areas including tourism, business and employment opportunities, he said.

MLA calls for accountability

Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna said the Praja Seva Andolana could help make government officials more accountable and remind them of their duties and responsibilities.

He urged the government to ensure that the programme develops into an effective platform for resolving public grievances rather than merely becoming another administrative exercise.

Deputy Commissioner Swaroopa T K, in her introductory remarks, said Udupi district was hosting its first Praja Seva Andolana meeting.

She said the initiative seeks to take government schemes and services to every village and household. She urged people to make maximum use of the platform to resolve their grievances within a stipulated time.

She also emphasised the importance of ensuring effective implementation of government guarantee schemes.

Information stalls set up

Various government departments established information stalls at the venue to provide details about government schemes and services.

The stalls offered information on rural development, social welfare, loans through development corporations, agriculture, horticulture, AYUSH, animal husbandry, labour, fisheries, women and child development and other programmes.

A stall showcasing Sanjeevini products was also set up by the National Rural Livelihood Mission.

The stalls provided members of the public with an opportunity to learn about available government schemes and services at a single venue.

Health check-up camp organised

As part of the programme, the Health Department conducted a health check-up camp for members of the public attending the event.

The inclusion of health services alongside grievance redressal and information stalls added a public-service component to the programme and enabled visitors to access basic health services while participating in the meeting.

Officials attend programme

Coastal Development Board chairman M A Gafoor, Sri Narayana Guru Development Corporation chairman Manjunath Poojary, Udupi Urban Development Authority chairman Dinakar Herur, Udupi District Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee chairman Ashok Kumar Kodavoor, Zilla Panchayat CEO Prateek Bayal, Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar, DFO Ruthen and several senior district- and taluk-level officials were present.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Abid Gadyal welcomed the gathering, while Roshan Kumar Shetty compered the programme.

The Udupi meeting marked the district’s participation in the new grievance-redressal initiative, with officials directed to follow up on the applications received and work towards providing timely solutions to the issues raised by the public.