2013-batch IAS officer Gaurav Kumar Singh has brought about some refreshing changes in Surajpur, where he is posted as the District Collector. Surajpur being a tribal-dominated district of Chhattisgarh, the administration faces many challenges when it comes to solving issues of the people living in the remote areas. DC Singh decided to solve this problem by launching the Jan Samvad initiative, whereby the administration itself goes to those areas in a special bus, called the Jan Samvad Bus, to know about the problems and give solutions on the spot.
Speaking to Indian Masterminds, DC Singh said that the initiative is a positive step towards creating a transparent and time-effective model, whereby the district administration redresses people’s grievances quickly and gains their trust.
LAUNCHING JAN SAMVAD
Explaining what made him launch the Jan Samvad initiative, Mr. Singh said, “When I stepped in as the District Collector of Surajpur, the main task given to me by the government was to make people believe that the district administration is working for the welfare of people and to rectify their issues at their doorsteps. By following these directions, I launched an initiative called ‘Jan Samvad’ a couple of months back.”
He informed that under this programme, camps are organized at the village level, where people from the district administration reach out to the villagers and acknowledge the issues faced by them. Immediate redressal of these grievances is done on the spot and most of the cases are disposed of then and there.
Following all laid down government procedures, the district administration started working and disposing of issues on a timely basis. Apart from this, the Collector had formed a system where every issue was transmitted online and, without needing the presence of the officer, it was getting resolved.
CONDUCTING MEETINGS IN BUS
The District Collector also realized that the fleet of cars in his entourage, when he travels to far flung areas to take stock of people’s problems, was creating traffic conditions and other issues. So, he introduced the ‘Jan Samvad Bus’ which was specially designed to host all the members of the district administration, including the Collector, so that necessary meetings could be held inside the bus.
The bus contains all the required facilities like a personal computer, printer, scanners, audio-video system, sitting arrangement, etc. Mr. Singh said, “Now, not a single member of the administration travels in his/her own car except for the Collector’s car which is used for emergency work only. During the bus drive, we mostly discuss the concerns raised by people in various villages and try to find immediate solutions.”
POSITIVE OUTCOME
The results have been encouraging, as within three months, the district administration could cover 200 villages and heard more than 11,000 grievances. Mr. Singh said, “Most of the issues, except a few, were resolved. The issues which are yet to be resolved are under process and will be rectified as soon as possible.”
