Over the past two decades, the Gujarat government has been at the forefront of efforts to strengthen the link between citizens and the administration.
One of the key initiatives driving this push for good governance is SWAGAT (State Wide Attention on Grievances by Application of Technology), an online public grievance redressal programme, according to a release from the Gujarat Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
The release said that in 2003, as the world was moving towards the digital era, the then-Chief Minister of Gujarat and current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, recognised the potential of technology to bridge the gap between citizens and the government and introduced the SWAGAT programme.
This initiative enables citizens across the state to present their grievances directly to the Chief Minister. Since its launch, SWAGAT has received 15,84,535 complaints from citizens at the state, district, taluka and village levels, of which 15,79,002 have been successfully resolved, the CMO said.
It further stated that 2,39,934 issues have been resolved in the past four years under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
Held on the fourth Thursday of every month, the programme allows the Chief Minister to personally listen to grievances, review them and direct suitable action. Under Patel’s leadership, a total of 2,39,934 complaints have been addressed successfully over the past four years, the release added.
The initiative has also had a direct impact on individual citizens. Bharatbhai Khodiphad from Mahuva in Bhavnagar district had struggled for years to obtain legal ownership of his residential plot.
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The Mahuva Municipality had acquired nine acres of land from his grandfather to allot to economically weaker sections. However, the portion of land due to him was never handed over.
Determined to claim what was rightfully his, he pursued the case at the taluka, district and state levels before finally presenting it under SWAGAT.
“The Chief Minister heard my complaint and instructed the concerned officials to complete the land documentation. Because of his timely intervention, my long-pending issue was resolved, allowing us to process the loan for my children’s higher education,” Bharatbhai said.
Under SWAGAT Online, complaints are addressed through four levels: State SWAGAT, District SWAGAT, Taluka SWAGAT and Village SWAGAT.
In the State SWAGAT, the Chief Minister directly hears grievances. In District SWAGAT, they are presented to the District Collector, while in Taluka SWAGAT citizens submit issues to the Taluka Officer or an equivalent Class-1 officer.
In Village SWAGAT, applications are submitted to the Talati or Minister between the 1st and 10th of each month. These are then included in the Taluka SWAGAT and addressed accordingly.
Citizens can also submit complaints to the Chief Minister’s Office in person, by mail or by post. These are forwarded to the relevant department or district officials for appropriate action.
In 2021, the Chief Minister’s Office launched the WTC (Write to CMO) online grievance portal, which allows citizens to submit complaints directly online.
Through SWAGAT and WTC, the Gujarat government continues to promote good governance and ensure ease of living for its citizens by addressing concerns promptly and effectively.
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