SHILLONG : East Khasi Hills has become the first district in Meghalaya to launch a dedicated grievance redressal portal, marking a major step towards improving public service delivery and bringing government services closer to citizens.
Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Home (Police), Prestone Tynsong, launched the portal on Wednesday and said the initiative, developed by the East Khasi Hills district administration, will enable residents to submit complaints online and track their status until resolution.
Describing the platform as a landmark initiative, Tynsong expressed confidence that the model would soon be replicated across all districts in Meghalaya.
“This is a new initiative taken by the Deputy Commissioner, and we are starting from East Khasi Hills. I am sure other districts will also come on board,” he said.
According to the Deputy Chief Minister, the government’s objective is to make governance more accessible, transparent and responsive to the needs of the people.
“The intention of the government is very clear. We want to reach every citizen of the state and address their grievances, whether they are individual issues, village-level concerns or area-level matters,” he said.
Tynsong said the portal complements the government’s broader efforts to decentralise public services. He cited the recent decision allowing citizens to apply for driving licences through Block Development Officer (BDO) offices in coordination with the District Transport Office (DTO).
“We want to bring government services to the doorstep of the people. Citizens can now even apply for driving licences through BDO offices,” he said.
While many government departments already offer online services, Tynsong noted that district administrations have lacked a unified platform to efficiently manage public grievances.
He explained that under the new system, every complaint submitted through the portal will be immediately acknowledged by the Deputy Commissioner’s office before being forwarded to the concerned department, branch or authority for necessary action.
“The public can easily bring any issue to the notice of the district administration through this portal. Once a complaint is received, it will be acknowledged immediately and forwarded to the concerned department for action,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the initiative is expected to improve accountability, ensure faster grievance redressal and enable real-time monitoring of complaints.
Responding to a question on action against officials who fail to deliver services on time, Tynsong said the existing Right to Public Services Act already prescribes service timelines and includes punitive provisions for non-compliance.
He added that the government remains committed to ensuring citizens receive public services within the timeframes guaranteed under the law.