J&K L-G Manoj Sinha speaks to the media Friday.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha Friday launched a new grievance redressal portal linked to the Union government’s grievance mechanism, terming it a step towards gaining peoples’ trust.

The Jammu and Kashmir Integrated Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (JK-IGRAMS) is being launched on pilot basis for Jammu, Srinagar, and Reasi districts. It will be rolled out in the remaining districts by October 2, the L-G said.

At the launch, Sinha told reporters that the Union Territory has been in the news “for the wrong reasons”, and stressed on the need to step away from that direction. “An effective grievance redressal mechanism is the lifeblood of any good governance system and is the top priority for the Government of Jammu and Kashmir… A common citizen wants a sympathetic, courteous, responsive, and helpful administrative setup,” he said.

The system will replace the current portal launched by the government in 2018. “This is the first UT that will be linked to the central government system—CPGRAMS,” he added.

Deputy Commissioners have been placed at the primary level for receiving, disposing of and monitoring grievances, the J&K administration said in a statement. The existing portal has been integrated downwards to the district level by mapping nearly 1,500 public offices in 20 districts of the Union Territory.

Sinha added that call centres will be set up in Jammu and Srinagar to ease the redressal process. “This will be monitored by the Chief Secretary and myself,” he said.

Addressing concerns of administrative officials being “unavailable”, the L-G said all SPs and DCs will be available at designated times five days a week. “They will be available in their offices and anyone can go and meet them,” he said, adding that this instruction has been passed on to Divisional Commissioners and IGs as well.

“From existing 250 to proposed 1,500 offices, which is the widest possible coverage that has been conceived and enabled in the online management of public grievances in J&K making it the first online grievance management system /Portal in the country that is linked with Central government, at the top, and districts and even further downwards to the tehsils and blocks, at the bottom,” a statement by the administration said.