Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was supposed to attend the CM’s grievance cell today after a long gap of nine years. But hundreds of people who had gathered at the venue to narrate their woes to the head of the government were thoroughly disappointed and I had to hand over their petitions to the officials manning the grievance cell – something they have been doing for nine years now – when the Chief Minister failed to turn up as announced.
The last time the Chief Minister attended the grievance cell was on August 16, 2008.
Among the many petitions submitted today was one submitted by members of the family of Ananga Manjari, former caretaker of the Paralakhemundi royal palace who, along with three of her siblings, committed suicide after allegations of misappropriation against her and her family.
Hundreds of people, some of them divyang, from different parts of the state excited at the prospect of meeting the Chief Minister were seen standing in queue in front of the grievance cell. But they were heart broken when they came to know that he was not coming.
“I had come all the way from Gajapati after hearing that the Chief Minister himself would come today. But I am going back thoroughly disappointed,” said a man from the southern district.
While asking collectors to attend the grievance cell and listen to the complaints of the people, the state government had announced that the Chief Minister would also attend the grievancial today.
Earlier, the office of the Chief Minister had declared that people can now convey their grievance online.
“The grievance of the people will be sent through E-Mail to the Chief Minister. The grievances will be heard immediately and the action taken will be intimated through website. All arrangements have finalized by the National Informatics Centre (NIC),” the office stated.