Days when people had to run from dept. to dept. to get routine work done should end, says Karnataka Chief Minister

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar interacting with a person with a physical disability after launching the Praja Seva initiative at Kudligi in Vijayanagara district on Saturday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday launched the new Praja Seva Department, aimed at taking administration to people’s doorsteps and providing time-bound redressal to their grievances without forcing them to make repeated visits to government offices.Launching the initiative at Kudligi in Vijayanagara district, Mr. Shivakumar said the days when people had to run from one government office to another for their routine work should end. The administration should instead reach out to citizens and address their problems, he said.“The administration should come directly to the doorstep of the people,” he said. The initiative was launched simultaneously across the State, with the respective district in-charge Ministers leading the programmes in their districts.After launching the campaign, Mr. Shivakumar interacted live with the district in-charge Ministers and reviewed the launch programmes. At some locations, he also interacted directly with people who had brought their grievances.Before launching the programme at Kudligi, the Chief Minister received representations from people seeking redressal of their problems.First and third SaturdaysMr. Shivakumar said ‘Praja Seva’ would be implemented in all 224 Assembly constituencies. The Cabinet had decided that elected representatives and officials should be available to the people on the first and the third Saturdays of every month.Ministers would lead the programme at the taluk and hobli levels, while MLAs would lead it at the gram panchayat level. If an MLA was unavailable, officials should personally visit the panchayat headquarters, hold meetings, receive public grievances and take steps to resolve them, he directed.The Chief Minister said merely receiving applications and issuing acknowledgements would not constitute success. “The real success of the programme will be when a solution reaches the applicant and a smile appears on the face of the people,” he said.The initiative would cover issues relating to pensions, land disputes, government benefits, khata transfers, guarantee schemes, houses and house sites, among others.Legal aid promisedMr. Shivakumar also announced that poor and disadvantaged people involved in disputes before the tahsildar, Assistant Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner would be provided free legal assistance through government lawyers. If an application was rejected, the applicant would be informed of the reasons, he said, adding that the government would stand by the applicant until the issue was fully resolved.Pointing to the drought condition in the State, the Chief Minister said the government would soon take a decision on declaring more drought-affected taluks shortly after receiving the second-stage report as the surveys were under way in more than 50 taluks.The Chief Minister also said plans would be rolled out soon to establish Bharat Jodo Yuva Sanghas in villages to encourage cultural, sports and leadership talent among youngsters and strengthen democratic values and the formation of Guarantee scheme committees at every panchayat. Published - September 05, 2026 08:55 pm IST