Karnataka to launch Prajaseva Department for faster public grievance redressal

Bengaluru,UPDATED: Jun 20, 2026 15:23 IST

D K Shivakumar on Saturday announced that the Karnataka government will set up a new department called Prajaseva, headed by a minister, to streamline the redressal of public grievances. He also said district ministers will have to hold regular public interaction and grievance meetings across all Assembly constituencies.

The cabinet also decided to give eligible residents living in buildings completed before 31 May, 2000, a 15-day window to apply for permanent electricity connections. Applicants will have to submit photographic proof and GPS coordinates of the existing structures.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru after chairing the second cabinet meeting of his government, Shivakumar said, "The first decision we have taken today concerns public grievances. People have many problems. When district ministers visit, when the Chief Minister meets people, or when protests are held, we must respond to their feelings and issues." He said the government would create a separate Prajaseva Department, with its own minister and administrative set-up, to examine petitions and ensure timely responses from the administration.

He said, "We are creating a separate ministry called the Prajaseva Department (Public service department). A separate minister will be assigned responsibility for this department." A senior IAS officer will head the grievance-monitoring mechanism, and petitions submitted to ministers, including those received directly by the Chief Minister, will be routed through the department for review and follow-up. As part of the plan, district ministers will have to hold weekly grievance-redressal and public outreach meetings at the taluk level in the presence of local legislators. Shivakumar said, "For all the 224 Assembly constituencies, district ministers will be required to visit one taluk every week and conduct public interaction meetings and grievance-redressal meetings under the auspices of Prajaseva Department."

On permanent electricity and water connections, Shivakumar said the government had decided to relax certain conditions after receiving representations from residents affected by some restrictions. He said people living in buildings completed before 31 May, 2000, who currently have temporary electricity connections and have applied for permanent residential connections, will get 15 days from the date of the Government Order to apply. "People whose buildings were completed before 31 May 2000, who currently have temporary electricity connections and who have applied for permanent residential connections, will be given 15 days time from the date the Government Order is issued," he said. He added that applicants must provide photographs and GPS coordinates of the existing structures and that no new constructions will be allowed to use this benefit.

Shivakumar said detailed guidelines will be included in the Government Order before it is issued, after which local bodies will implement the decision. In effect, the cabinet cleared two measures on Saturday: a new Prajaseva Department to handle public grievances and a limited window for eligible residents in older buildings to seek permanent electricity connections.

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