CM Complaint Cell: Only 19% of complaints redressed in 15 months

At least 31,335 reports have been filed since September 17, 2013.

PESHAWAR: The Chief Minister’s Complaint and Redressal Cell (CRC) has so far addressed only 19% of the total number of complaints filed with the department in the past 15 months.

According to data available with The Express Tribune, CRC redressed only 6,003 complaints out of a total of 31,335, while 3,511 are in process. The cell was established by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led (PTI) government on September 17, 2013 in order to bridge the gap between the authorities and the general public and provide a direct channel for people to voice their concerns. Complaints can be filed via telephone, email, fax or post.



CRC’s email address received the highest amount of traffic with around 11,182 complaints, out of which only 599 were resolved and 1,052 are under process.

While the cell was lauded for its potential, people also have concerns over the system in place.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Zahid Hussain, a resident of Peshawar, said the department has provided only one telephone number which remains busy throughout the week. “I had a complaint about police taking bribes but after repeated attempts, I could not get through with the relevant people,” he said.

Meanwhile, another resident, Ilyas Shah, had a different story to tell. Shah had filed a complaint with the CRC and the issue was resolved by the area’s patwari within days.

CRC Chairman Dilroz Khan said the cell receives around 2,000 complaints every month.

Khan said he is aware of the limitations of the service and the government is trying to upgrade the system in place. He also mentioned the issues with complaints filed and said several cases are either not genuine or too trivial.

Applications for financial aid, employment, postings, transfers, and applications regarding power outages exceed the jurisdiction of the cell, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2014.