In order to strengthen the public grievance redressal system, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has ordered the setting up of a “CM Helpline” which will connect people to a call centre manned by 500 people. The helpline will be directly supervised by the chief minister’s office, with Adityanath himself collecting feedback. The staff will receive calls, note down details of the complaints and forward the matter to the department and officers concerned. “The progress on redressal of these complaints will be monitored by the CM’s office,” said a senior government official. The department of IT and electronics has been asked to start work on the directive and given a December deadline for the call centre to become functional. The idea was derived from a similar set up currently operational in Madhya Pradesh. “A team of officials from UP had visited MP to study the functioning of the helpline,” the official added. The department will be creating a website having links to all departments so that call centre staff can register complaints through the portal. The state government will be sourcing personnel for the call centre through a consultancy firm that will also be given the responsibility of operating the call centre. Presently, details of complaints received at any level in UP are being posted on the web portal of the Integrated Grievance Redressal System of the state government. People can directly lodge their complaints on this portal. “But requirement of a helpline was felt as many people cannot access the Internet. These people will be able to register complaints by dialling the CM’s helpline number,” the official said. Before the helpline is put in place, Adityanath has also decided to bring other modes of grievance redressal starting August. This includes video conferencing every month with DMs and SSP/SPs of at least 10 districts where maximum complaints are pending.
