Ahmedabad, Nov 20 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, on Thursday, chaired the monthly online public grievance redressal programme ‘SWAGAT’ in Gandhinagar, directing officials to ensure swift and on-ground resolution of citizens’ complaints by leveraging technology.

The Chief Minister emphasised that grievances — particularly those raised by farmers must be understood in depth, verified through site visits and resolved on priority.

Stressing accountability, he instructed district collectors to ensure strict implementation and rigorous monitoring of decisions taken at the taluka- and district-level SWAGAT meetings.

More than 70 citizens appeared before the State SWAGAT programme this month, with Chief Minister Patel personally hearing four such cases.

The remaining petitions were received by the Chief Minister Office’s public relations unit and forwarded to concerned departments and district officials.

As many as 1,156 complaints submitted during the district-level SWAGAT meetings in November have already undergone necessary action at the district end.

The Chief Minister reiterated that the SWAGAT system — launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2003 when he served as the Gujarat Chief Minister — continues to act as a powerful platform, directly connecting citizens with the government and bringing tangible improvements to people’s lives.

During the hearing, Chief Minister Patel issued several on-the-spot instructions.

Responding to a long-pending demand from farmers of two villages in Porbandar district, the Chief Minister directed the state’s Roads and Buildings Department to expedite approval for a bridge over the Sukhabhadar river.

In another case, CM Patel asked the district collector to immediately issue a property card with updated measurements to a Porbandar petitioner.

He also instructed the Ahmedabad district collector Sujeet Kumar to swiftly correct revenue records for a farmer from Dholera whose land entries were affected due to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) reservation anomalies.

Taking note of recent unseasonal rains, the Chief Minister told district collectors to ensure that no farmer faces hurdles in availing assistance under the agricultural relief package announced by the state government.

The November 2025 SWAGAT review was attended by Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Avantika Singh, Secretary Vikrant Pandey, officers on special duty Dhiraj Parekh and Rakesh Vyas, and senior officials from concerned departments.

–IANS

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