Bihar cabinet clears grievance redressal set-up for govt staff

The proposal moved by additional chief secretary of general administration department envisages having a designated officer in all districts and department to look into online complaints filed by serving and superannuated employees.

In what may bring cheers for regular government employees, the state cabinet on Friday paved the way for the formulation of rules to facilitate time-bound redressal of grievances related to service and retirement benefits.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar arriving at the secretariat for cabinet meeting in Patna(file)

Till now, the state government had introduced Right to Service Act for the citizens and followed it up with Right to Grievance Redressal Act. It was aimed to ensure that people had time-bound access to government services, like issuance of birth, death, caste, residential certificates, and there was mechanism for the resolution of grievances related to the delivery of service. 

With the cabinet nod for framing Bihar Government Employee Complaint Redressal Rules 2019, nearly 4 lakh serving employees and over 2.5 lakh retired personnel will also have a mechanism for getting their service and retirement benefit related complaints resolved, said Sanjay Kumar, principal secretary, cabinet department.

The proposal moved by additional chief secretary of general administration department envisages having a designated officer in all districts and department to look into online complaints filed by serving and superannuated employees.

Though exact number of cases related to service matters and retirement benefits landing in court could not be ascertained, department officials conceded it was more than enough by any standards.

“In order to provide a designated platform, a cell will be created at the district level (headed by ADM-level officer) and in departments (headed by a deputy secretary) for the resolution of complaints within 60 days. In event of non-satisfactory resolution, there will a provision for appeal,” he said.

In another important decision, the cabinet also approved a compensation of ₹10 lakh for the family of government servants killed in extremist or violent activities in the line of duty. The widow/dependant of the government servants covered under the new pension scheme will also be considered for appointment on compassionate grounds, family pension for wife and a minimum of ₹2,500 for children till they attain the age of 25 years.

Central para-military force personnel suffering injury in violent activities or falling ill during the course of deployment for election duty will be entitled for treatment at CGHS facilities, while legislators and former legislators will entitled for medical check-up, once in a year, after attaining the age of 40 years. In case of male members, they will be entitled for a re-imbursement of ₹2,000 and ₹2,200 for female members that would be at par with officers belonging to All India Service.  

Principal secretary of energy department, Pratay Amrit, said that the cabinet also approved a subsidy of ₹5,193 crore, at the rate of ₹432.75 crore per month, for different categories of consumers which would be directly paid to the NTPC through the RBI.

Other cabinet decisions

₹10 lakh for kin of govt servants killed in the line of duty

Family pension for wife, ₹2,500 for kids till they turn 25

Power subsidy of ₹5,193 cr for different categories of consumers, to be directly paid to NTPC