PUBLIC GRIEVANACES REDRESSAL MACHINERY
ON RAILWAYS
MEASURES
FOR ELIMINATION OF CAUSES OF PUBLIC COMPLAINTS
The Chairman Railway
Board Shri R.K. Singh has said that public grievances through
Cabinet Secretariat, Department of Administrative Reforms and
Pension and Prime Minister’s Office should get more thrust in
redressal. Addressing a Conference of Additional General Mangers
of Zonal Railways and Production Units here today, Shri Singh
said that five areas of public complaints were booking, punctuality,
improper behaviour of staff, reservations and cleanliness, which
needed special attention. Besides, thrust has been on safety,
which enjoyed special focus. The objective was to address public
concern and build their confidence. In the areas of safety, rail
weld failure, failure of wheel disc and hot axle because of failure
of roller bearing were the main focus to ward off accidents. The
Chairman asked the Zonal Railways to redress public grievances
within the limits of time frame. He also asked them to take steps
for removal of deficiency in services in order to reduce consumer
court cases. In addition, cleanliness and availability of potable
water should get special attention. The Zonal Railways were also
asked to set up computerized Information Facilitation Centre wherever
it was not set up. The Chairman also said that Message Board on
the Desk of General Managers should be opened daily to address
public complaints.
The number of complaints
received during 2002-2003 were 19814 as against 17976 during the
previous year, representing an increase of 10.2 per cent. Out
of the total complaints, 95 per cent related to establishment
and the remaining 5 per cent to the various services rendered
by the Railways.
The Chairman complimented
Additional General Managers for higher loading over the target.
He asked them to reach the target of earnings besides effecting
savings.
The Member Mechanical
Shri P.N. Garg said that one of the major grievances against railways
related to cleanliness, which should get top priority during the
current
year declared as
the Year of Customers’ Satisfaction. He said a cleanliness derive
has already been launched which should be carried forward with
attendant vigour.
The Member Traffic,
Shri K.K. Aggarwal called for a system of meaningful inspections
and elimination of causes of public complaints in the areas of
catering, punctuality, improper behaviour of staff, booking, reservations
and cleanliness. The Member Staff , Shri S.M. Singla suggested
provision of complaint book at prominent place , monitoring of
the working of enquiry system and expeditious refunds. He also
suggested proper response from the Railway officials to the users’
complaint. The Financial Commissioner, Smt. Vikaylakshmi Viswanathan
raised her concern over the shortfall of Rs. 538 crores in earnings
during the first half of the current fiscal ending September 2003
and called for reduction in expenditure and plugging leakages
of revenue.
Others who spoke
included representatives of the Prime Minister’s Office, Cabinet
Secretariat and Department of Administrative Reforms and Pensioners’
Welfare. In addition, Secretary Generals of National Federation
of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) and All India Railwaymen’s Federation
(AIF) also addressed the Conference.
The Conference of
Additional General Managers reviewed the performance of Public
Grievance Redressal Machinery on the Railways to evolve suitable
means to eliminate the causes of public complaints. The Conference
also discussed commitment of railways to provide quality and hassle-free
customer friendly services to the citizens and rail users as the
railways have one the widest interface with the general public.
It also discussed measures for strengthening grievance redressal
machinery and public delivery system on railways to bring about
systematic changes with special emphasis on prevention of grievances.
