In a bid to curb rising civic issues, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) commissioner on Tuesday, directed officials to actively address complaints filed by citizens and take accountability for their respective areas.
Commissioner says performance will be judged by visible ground improvement, not complaint numbers; focus on proactive fault repair. (HT Archive)
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Chairing a review meeting with executive engineers, assistant engineers and junior engineers at the MCG office, commissioner Pradeep Dahiya said that negligence in basic services such as roads, sewerage, drinking water supply and street lighting, would not be tolerated, said officials who attended the meeting. He said timely and high-quality action in these areas is essential to improving citizens’ quality of life.
Officials told HT that Dahiya instructed officials to conduct regular field visits in their respective jurisdictions to identify problems at the ground level. He instructed junior engineers to remain active in the field and address faults as soon as they are noticed, without waiting for complaints to be formally registered.
“Officers must take ownership of their areas. If a road is damaged, a sewer is overflowing, or a streetlight is not functioning, action should be taken immediately,” Dahiya said.
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Reviewing complaints pending on the “Mhari Sadak” portal and thecomplaint handling system (CHS) portal, Dahiya told officials that a high number of pending complaints reflects poorly on the corporation’s functioning and reduces public trust.
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Reviewing complaints pending on the “Mhari Sadak” portal and thecomplaint handling system (CHS) portal, Dahiya told officials that a high number of pending complaints reflects poorly on the corporation’s functioning and reduces public trust.
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He said resolving complaints should not be treated as a routine formality, but as an opportunity to fix systemic issues. He added that the ultimate goal of MCG should be to adopt a work culture where residents do not feel the need to lodge complaints at all.
“Citizens should see visible improvement on the ground. That is the true measure of efficiency,” he said.
Officials said that the commissioner said if civic issues persist for long, strict action will be taken against the responsible officials.
The commissioner said the success of the civic body would now be measured by visible improvements on the ground rather than the number of complaints received, said officials.
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest.
Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents.
Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure.
Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing.
Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity.
Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations.
Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling.
A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.
