Gandhinagar, July 23 (IANS) The monthly State SWAGAT (State-Wide Attention on Grievances by Application of Technology) programme will be held on Thursday in Gujarat in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The event, now an institutional fixture in Gujarat’s administrative calendar, offers a platform for citizens to directly present their grievances to the highest levels of state leadership.
This initiative, which began in 2003 under the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then the Chief Minister of Gujarat, has consistently aimed to bridge the gap between citizens and the administration through the use of digital technology. Held every fourth Thursday of the month, SWAGAT enables real-time hearing and resolution of public complaints from across the state via a centralised online system.
In this month’s edition, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will personally review select cases presented by citizens and direct officials to take result-oriented action. The redressal session will be hosted online, but complainants can also appear in person to submit their issues.
Citizens wishing to raise concerns can visit the Chief Minister’s Public Relations Office at Swarnim Sankul-2, Gandhinagar, on July 24 between 8.00 a.m. and 11.00 a.m. Over the years, the SWAGAT programme has been recognised as one of Gujarat’s flagship models of good governance. It has received accolades for ensuring administrative accountability and timely response to grassroots-level issues, ranging from land disputes to civic infrastructure problems.
With the upcoming session, the government aims to reinforce its approach of responsive governance, particularly at a time when public trust in efficient service delivery remains a top priority. The July session is expected to draw a wide cross-section of citizens seeking resolution to longstanding issues.
In the May 2025 State-level SWAGAT session, a total of 90 citizens presented grievances, of which 11 cases were directly addressed by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel during the public hearing. Beyond that, 1, 103 grievances were handled at the district level, and 3, 617 issues were raised in Taluka SWAGAT sessions -- with approximately 52 per cent resolved on the spot (around 2, 503 cases).
In the June 2025 edition, the system received a large inflow of 3, 349 representations across village, Taluka, district, and state tiers, of which 1, 757 (50 per cent) were successfully resolved, including 98 applicants at the state-level event and 12 heard personally by the CM.
Meanwhile, the March 28 SWAGAT session saw 131 citizen petitions received at the state-level programme, with CM Patel issuing directives for their resolution. At the district level, 1, 088 representations were heard in person, and at the Taluka level, 1, 724 grievances were addressed through the on-site session.