Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 24 Aug: Samadhan Diwas was held at the Collectorate auditorium here today under the chairmanship of District Magistrate Dr Ashish Chauhan, with the objective of ensuring swift, transparent and sensitive resolution of public grievances. A total of 140 complainants presented their issues, many of which were resolved on the spot, while for the remaining cases strict instructions were issued by the DM to the departmental officers to resolve them within fixed timelines.
The hearing was dominated by complaints related to land encroachments, waterlogging due to blocked drains, fraud in widow pensions, domestic violence, property disputes and delays in development works. Taking a tough stand on encroachments, the DM directed the Tehsildar of Vikasnagar and the District Industries Centre Manager to immediately inspect the site at Langha Road Industrial Area where a pharmaceutical company had allegedly built a wall on a drain and village land, causing waterlogging, and to remove the illegal construction. Similarly, the SDM Vikasnagar was directed to demolish the encroachments on village land in Lakshmipur.
On a complaint related to alleged pension fraud, where a CSC operator allegedly demanded Rs 10,000 and withheld documents after taking Rs 4,000 from a widow, the DM instructed the Tehsildar, District Programme Officer and Kotwali in-charge to conduct a joint inquiry and take strict action. In cases of social and family harassment, including a 65-year-old woman from Rishikesh alleging assault and neglect by her son and daughter-in-law, immediate intervention was ordered through the Circle Officer and the Women’s Commission team. Property disputes involving widows and children were referred to the District Legal Services Authority for legal aid.
Issues of compensation for farmers affected by the Lakhwar Dam project, pending road approvals in Paonwala Sauda, erosion caused by an irrigation drain in Balaji Vihar and a suspicious electrocution death at a sports academy in Mohabbewala were also taken up. The DM issued directions to the departments concerned for prompt resolution. Chauhan also stressed that the grievances received during Samadhan Diwas must not be treated as mere formalities but resolved with quality and timeliness, ensuring complainants do not have to make repeated visits to offices.
Among those present included ADMs KK Mishra and Smrita Parmar, SDM Aparna Singh, District Development Officer Sunil Kumar, District Programme Officer Jitendra Kumar and other district-level officers, with all sub-divisional magistrates joining virtually.
