F.No. 23013/2/2011-P.G.

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

Department of Personnel & Training

North Block,
New Delhi, the 5th September, 2011

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub: Guidelines to strengthen Public Grievances Redressal Mechanism – reiteration regarding observance of “Meeting-less Day”.

The Government of India has been emphasizing from time to time the need to strengthen the public grievances redressal mechanism and for increased interface with the members of the public in order to promote responsive administration. In this regard, attention is drawn to the Office Memorandum dated 09.08.2011 of the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) reiterating their guidelines for redress of public grievances circulated vide OMs No. 1/PLCY/PG-88(7) dated 01.03.1988; 9/PLCY/PG-93(8) dated 07.09.1993 and K-1501/1/2006-PG dated 22.05.2006 (copy enclosed).

2. A gist of these guidelines is reproduced below:

(i) Every Wednesday of the week shall be observed as a meeting-less day in the Central Secretariat. Three hours (10.00 am to 1.00 pm) on this day may be set apart for grievance redressal when all officers of the level of Deputy Secretary and above will remain in their offices and will receive and hear public grievances. No inter-ministerial meetings will be scheduled on a Wednesday. However, intra-ministerial meetings, which cannot be postponed, may be fixed on Wednesday after 1.00 pm;

(ii) All Ministries/Departments may also designate one day of the week as a meeting-less day for their Subordinate/Attached/Field offices keeping in view their local requirements. Three hours on that day may be earmarked for receiving and hearing public grievances;

(iii) In case where Parliamentary business requires an officer to be away from his office on Wednesday between 10.00 am to 1.00 pm or in cases where urgent internal meetings cannot be delayed, three hours at any other time may be set apart on Wednesday. The Secretary of the Department may be apprised of the change in the schedule;

(iv) The Reception Officers, security personnel and peons should be given suitable instructions about the meeting-less day so as to allow members of the public to meet officers on that day without prior appointment.

(v) A feedback mechanism may be ensured to correct deficiencies;

(vi) 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.-2-

1. These guidelines may be strictly complied with by all within DOP&T and its attached and subordinate offices and responsibility centres.

(Priya Mahadevan)

Under Secretary to the Government of India

Tel: 23092982

To:

1. All Officers of the Department of Personnel & Training;
2. Secretary, CVC; Secretary, CIC; Secretary, UPSC, Director, CBI and Secretary, SSC, with the request to designate a day of the week as meeting-less day as stipulated above and inform this Department;
3. The Chief Security Officer, Ministry of Home Affairs, with reference to Para 2(iv) above.
4. Senior Technical Director, NIC, North Block. This may please be uploaded in the website of the Ministry, under DOPT OMs and Orders.

Copy for information to:

PS to MOS(PP); Sr. PPS to Secretary(P); PPS to AS(S&V); PS to JS(AT&A); PA to Director (Admin.);

Joint Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (Shri P.K. Jha) with reference to OM No. H-18011/36/2010-PG dated 09.08.2011.No H-18011/36/2010-PG

Government of India

Bharat Sarkar

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

Karmik, Lok Shikayat Evam Pensions Mantralaya

Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances / Prasthasnik Sudhar Evam Lok Shikayat Vibhag

(Public Grievances Division / Lok Shikayat Prabhag)

3rd floor, Sardar Patel Bhawan,
Sansad Marg,
New Delhi 110001
9th August 2011

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Re-iteration of guidelines on visiting hours for meeting citizens – regarding –

Attention of all concerned is invited to three specific guidelines in ‘Compilation of Guidelines for Redress of Public Grievances’ as listed below:

1. OM No. 1/PLCY/PG-88(7) dated 1st March 1988: In paragraph 1 thereof the following policy has been made –

   I. Meetingless Day:

   (i) Every Wednesday of the week shall be observed as a meeting-less day in the Central Secretariat. Three hours (1000 hours to 1300 hours) on this day may be set apart for grievance redressal when all officers of the level of Deputy Secretary and above will remain in their offices and will receive and hear public grievances. No inter-ministerial meetings will be scheduled on a Wednesday. However, intra-ministerial meetings, which cannot be postponed, may be fixed on Wednesday after 1300 hours.

   (ii) All Ministries / Departments may also designate one day of the week as a meetingless day for their Subordinate / Attached / Field offices keeping in view their local requirements. Three hours on that day may be earmarked for receiving and hearing public grievances.

   (iii) These instructions will be invariably observed except in cases where Parliamentary business requires an officer to be away from his office on Wednesday between 1000 hours to 1300 hours or in cases where urgent internal meetings cannot be delayed. In case an officer is required to be away from his office unavoidably during these hours, he may set apart three hours at any other time on Wednesday. The Secretary of the Ministry / Department may be apprised of the change in the schedule as soon as possible.

2. OM No. 9/PLCY/PG – 93(8) dated 07.09.1993: This inter alia refers to the above OM of 1.3.1988 to re-iterate the following:

   (i) The meetingless day should be observed strictly. The Director of Grievances and other officers of the rank of Deputy Secretary and above should remain in their offices during specified hours (1000 hours to 1300 hours) on every Wednesday to receive and hear grievances of the members of the public.

   (ii) The receptionists, security personnel and peons should be given suitable instructions about the meetingless day so as to allow the members of the public to meet officers on that day without prior appointment.

3. OM No. K-15011/1/2006-PG dated 22.5.2006: This inter alia includes the following:

   (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 mechanism 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.

4. The Government of India policy on meeting the public, as given in the aforesaid extracts, is reiterated for strict compliance on a regular basis.

(P.K.Jha)
Joint Secretary to Government of India
Telephone 23360331

To,

Secretaries of all Ministries / Departments in Government of India