JAMMU: In a comprehensive review meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, the functioning of the public grievance redressal system under the JK Samadhan 2.0 portal was evaluated, with a focus on the pace, quality and effectiveness of responses by the government departments and district administrations.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary, Public Grievances Department, along with Administrative Secretaries of various departments while Deputy Commissioners from across the UT participated virtually.

The Chief Secretary emphasized that the success of any grievance redressal mechanism lies not in mere registration of complaints but in their satisfactory and time bound resolution. He underlined that timely redressal of citizens' issues is key towards reinforcing public faith in the governance system and ensuring their continued engagement with administrative platforms.

Dulloo made out that mere acknowledgement of grievances does not inspire confidence among the citizens. It is only when their concerns are addressed promptly and effectively will people feel encouraged to bring issues to the attention of the administration.

He described public grievances as a valuable diagnostic tool for assessing the health of governance at the grassroots level. An in-depth analysis of grievances, he said, can serve as a map highlighting recurring challenges within departments or particular geographic areas. He urged the departments and district officials to utilize the platform not just for grievance resolution but as a means to strengthen the institutional responsiveness and improve public service delivery on ground.

The Chief Secretary laid special emphasis on the quality of disposal, calling for grievance redressal that leads to the utmost satisfaction of the aggrieved citizen. He directed that no grievance should remain unresolved beyond 30 days. He also instructed all the departments and Deputy Commissioners to conduct regular reviews of grievance status, ensuring that no case remain pending unnecessarily and that responsibility is fixed in cases of unwarranted delay.

Stressing the need for broader citizen participation, Dulloo tasked the Grievances Department with increasing awareness about the ‘JK Samadhan 2.0' portal. He advised that the portal be highlighted in all government outreach programs and public meetings. He called for periodic bulk SMS campaigns targeting the registered citizens to inform and remind them about the availability and utility of this grievance redressal platform.

Meanwhile, the Chief Secretary also participated in a live demonstration of the JK Samadhan 2.0 portal.

During the session, he appreciated the improvements made in the portal and recommended further technological advancements to be taken up in collaboration with BISAG-N to enable more data-driven and insightful handling of grievances.

He suggested integrating features like heat maps based on grievance types and locations, which would allow departments to visually analyse concentration of specific issues and areas of concern. Moreover, he proposed the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other advanced tools to analyse grievances, classify them intelligently, and ensure efficient, targeted and high-quality redressal of each of them.

The Chief Secretary lauded the significant strides made by the department and emphasized the need for focused efforts in districts with lower coverage to ensure equitable access to grievance redressal mechanisms. He appreciated the data-driven approach and urged for intensified IEC (Information, Education & Communication) campaigns to further boost public participation.

Highlighting the functioning of this Department, Secretary, Public Grievances, Aijaz Asad said that a massive surge in registrations under JK Samadhan has been viewed during the previous few months from January onwards. He revealed that the same had reached a significant milestone of 13,08,759 citizen registrations on the portal till date.

Elucidating further, he made out that mere 12,932 citizen registrations were there on this portal as on January 4, 2025 which increased upto 3,49,826 registrations till February 5, 2025. He added that a staggering 9,46,001 new registrations were made during the past two months only. Registrations had been steadily growing since July 2024, which saw only 1,429 registrations by then, he concluded.

It was further disclosed that as of 30th April 2025, the portal recorded 53,342 grievances from citizens, reflecting active utilization of the platform to voice public issues. Out of the total, 39,971 grievances (75%) had been successfully resolved and 13,371 grievances are currently under active review of the departments for quality resolution.

Thus JK Samadhan has effectively managed over 1.3 million citizen registrations and resolved three-fourths of the grievances received, showcasing its role as a reliable and responsive public grievance redressal platform for citizens of the UT.

Moreover, it was given out that at least a family member from each household is being targeted for registration over this portal in order to enable them to reach out to administrative machinery for targeted assistance during the hour of need.

It is worth mentioning here that JK Samadhan stands as a beacon of the government's resolve to bring administration closer to the people. With over 13 lakh citizens already registered and active tracking of grievances, the initiative has set a benchmark in digital, accountable and transparent governance across all the districts of the UT.