ACTION BY DM

ACTION BY DM

9-MAY-ENG 9

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-----------------------------The DM of Bhojpur has taken strict action against Archana Kumari, the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Garhani, for her absence from an online meeting held during the hearings of the Bihar Public Grievance Redressal mechanism.

The DM of Bhojpur has initiated strict measures against Garhani BDO Archana Kumari following her failure to attend an online meeting conducted as part of the Bihar Public Grievance Redressal hearings.

1. *Explanation Sought* – BDO Archana Kumari has been issued a summons requiring a written explanation as to why she was absent from the meeting.

2. *One Day's Salary Withheld* – Deeming her absence as negligence in the discharge of duty, an order has been issued to deduct one day's salary.

3. *Fine of ₹1,000* – A monetary penalty has also been imposed.

Under the Bihar Public Grievance Redressal Rights Act, 2015, hearings are conducted weekly at the district level. It is mandatory for the concerned officials from the respective Blocks or Circles to be present during these proceedings.

DM Tanay Sultania himself was conducting the hearings via video conferencing. However, when a case pertaining to Garhani came up for hearing, the BDO was not even logged in to the system. Consequently, the complainant's case was stalled.

This is not an isolated incident. The DM has previously conducted surprise inspections at 18 offices in Udvantnagar and has set a 20-day deadline for the disposal of mutation (Dakhil-Kharij) cases. His directive is unequivocal: *"Negligence in addressing public grievances will not be tolerated."*

The objective behind this action is to send a clear message to other officials as well—that public hearings must not be taken lightly. The Bhojpur District Administration is adopting a rigorous approach regarding the redressal of grievances raised by the general public.