Mayor Shivakumar on Thursday said he did not know why the first-ever ‘Palike Adalat’ of Mysuru City Corporation which was mooted by him received a cold response from the people.
“I had expected a better response to the Adalat where the residents in MCC limits could get their grievances addressed. Surprisingly, it did not attract the kind of response I had hoped. I don’t even know the reasons for the lukewarm response since the intention was to benefit the public,” he told The Hindu, while responding to the steps taken for attending to the applications already received at the Adalat.
On the inaugural day on November 14, the counters were empty and there were hardly any people to submit their grievances. The Adalat was held from November 14 to 19. In total, 272 applications were received at the Adalat and most of them pertain to property khatas, and allocation of Ashraya houses.
Asked whether the MCC did not publicise the initiative, the Mayor said, “I haven’t gone through the reason for the lacklustre response but I have now focused my attention on addressing the 272 applications on priority.”
Nov. 30 deadline
Mr Shivakumar said he has set a November 30 deadline to officials to clear the applications. “If any application requires any more documents or if there are any technical issues, the MCC staff need to explain in detail and come out with solutions. Those who had submitted their applications at the Adalat can attend the November 30 meeting. They can speak to us and get clarity in case the applications remain unaddressed for some genuine reason.”
People in the knowhow of MCC affairs said, “The MCC offices are usually crowded with people who go there seeking solution to their grievances. But when the Palike Adalat was done, there were not many takers to the initiative. Perhaps, they know that such initiatives do not yield expected results going by the functioning of the MCC and its zonal offices, and the system in place.”
“If the MCC has to regain the people’s faith, then it must address grievances without making the people run from one office to another for months to get their work done,” said a resident of Ramakrishnanagar, who did not get his grievance addressed at the Adalat.