Gandhinagar, Jan 22 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday issued clear instructions to district administrations to take citizen-centric decisions based on local representations and ensure swift resolution of public grievances.

The directions were issued while he personally heard complaints during the January 2026 edition of the State SWAGAT (State Wide Attention on Grievances by Application of Technology) Online programme.

During the January session, action was taken on a total of 4,057 representations across the state. This included 110 complaints presented directly at the State SWAGAT Online programme, 1,492 cases addressed through district-level SWAGAT hearings, and 2,565 grievances resolved at the taluka level, reflecting the government’s emphasis on decentralised and time-bound grievance redressal.

The Chief Minister reiterated that district and local administrative machinery must respond with sensitivity, particularly to issues affecting farmers and ordinary citizen families.

He underlined that public problems related to illegal encroachments on roads, drainage lines and canals, as well as obstructions on inter-village connecting roads, must be resolved promptly and with a people-first approach.

During the hearing, farmers from Dabhoi and Botad districts, as well as beneficiaries from Surat district, placed long-pending issues before the Chief Minister.

Patel responded with immediate and solution-oriented directions. In Dabhoi, farmers reported that untreated gutter water released by the municipality was damaging crops and degrading nearly 150 bighas of cultivable land belonging to 33 farmers.

Taking serious note of the issue, the Chief Minister directed the administration to immediately construct a siphon system to prevent sewage water from entering farmlands.

He also instructed officials to ensure the municipal Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) functions effectively so that the long-standing problem faced by farmers is resolved permanently.

In another case from Botad district, farmers informed the Chief Minister that the increased height of a village pond embankment had resulted in around 500 bighas of agricultural land belonging to 42 farmers being submerged, while also cutting off access routes to their fields.

Patel issued immediate instructions to the concerned departments and local authorities to take farmer-friendly decisions and resolve the matter without delay.

Additionally, beneficiaries from Surat district raised the issue of prolonged delays in constructing new houses at sites where dilapidated Gujarat Housing Board buildings had already been demolished. Responding to the complaint, the Chief Minister directed Gujarat Housing Board officials to expedite the construction process and ensure the timely completion of new housing units.

–IANS

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