Karnataka To Set Up 'Praja Sevak' Department To Strengthen Public Grievance Redressal

Published 20 June 2026 · local

Karnataka To Set Up 'Praja Sevak' Department To Strengthen Public Grievance Redressal Published By, Last Updated: June 20, 2026, 21:33 IST Karnataka Cabinet approves 'Praja

Karnataka To Set Up 'Praja Sevak' Department To Strengthen Public Grievance Redressal Published By, Last Updated: June 20, 2026, 21:33 IST Karnataka Cabinet approves 'Praja Sevak' Department to handle public grievances, mandates weekly taluk visits by ministers. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the department will be dedicated to addressing public complaints. (File photo) The Karnataka Cabinet on Saturday approved the creation of a new ministry, the Praja Sevak Department, aimed at improving grievance redressal and making government services more accessible to citizens across the state. Announcing the decision, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the department will be dedicated to addressing public complaints and ensuring that government representatives engage directly with people at the grassroots level. Ministers To Visit One Taluk Every Week Under the initiative, every minister will be required to visit at least one taluk each week to interact with residents, hear their concerns and facilitate solutions locally, reducing the need for citizens to travel to Bengaluru to seek government intervention.

“Today, in the cabinet, we have taken a major decision – a separate ministry will be formed, and a minister will also be given the responsibility of the public grievances of the entire state, where ministers may attend, even MLAs may attend. All the ministers will have to go to one taluk compulsarily one day every week. They will have to attend to the public and look into their grievances," he said. “We should not allow them to come to Bengaluru…It is called ‘Praja Sevak Department’. Then I will see to it that even the MLAs go to all homes. A separate IAS officer will be given the responsibility, and apart from that, officers will be there," Shivakumar added. The department will oversee an integrated grievance management system, ensure time-bound resolution of complaints, simplify administrative procedures and collect citizen feedback to improve service delivery.

iPGRS 2.0 To Power Citizen Outreach In a post on X, State Minister Priyank Kharge said the Department of E-Governance will provide technical support for the initiative, including the development of the Integrated Public Grievance Redressal System (iPGRS) 2.0 and other digital platforms to facilitate efficient implementation. In today’s Cabinet meeting chaired by Hon’ble @CMofKarnataka, the establishment of the new Ministry, Praja Seva, a people-first Governance, marking an important step towards strengthening citizen grievance redressal and administrative responsiveness in Karnataka.The new… — Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) June 20, 2026 The government expects the new ministry to make governance more responsive, transparent and citizen-centric by bringing officials and elected representatives closer to the people they serve. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Manisha Roy Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com's general desk.