The new BJP government in Odisha has decided that ministers will hold grievance redressal meetings with people at the state party office every Monday to enhance its pro-people image.

This is in addition to the grievance hearings of chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi held every Monday at CM’s Grievance Cell located near the state secretariat.

The cell was practically defunct during the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) rule under Naveen Patnaik. Sources said that Naveen did not visit the cell after 2008. The cases were resolved at the officials’ level. The grievance hearing by the chief minister himself has resumed after 16- years as it was discontinued in 2008.

The first minister-level grievance redressal meeting was held at the BJP office on Monday with commerce and transport minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena and health and family welfare minister Mukesh Mahaling meeting members of the public and hearing out their complaints.

BJP state president Manmohan Samal said apart from members of the public, party workers, too, can take advantage of these hearings.

“This is an attempt to bring the party closer to the people. We want to connect ourselves with the problems of the people and solve them. On every Monday, two ministers of our government will come to the party office and listen to the people’s grievances,” added Samal.

Mahaling said the problems of the people were also the problems of the government. “We are keen to solve them as fast as possible,” the minister added. His cabinet colleague and transport minister Bibhuti Jena said, “Hearing people’s grievances is the policy decision of the government. The previous government did not attach any importance to this and the chief minister’s grievance cell was practically defunct during the BJD regime. But this remains a priority for our government.”

Meanwhile, the BJP has decided to hold its state executive committee meeting for two days from July 19 to July 20 at Puri. The meeting will be attended by BJP national president J.P. Nadda. All party MPs, MLAs and senior leaders will attend the meeting which will have its focus on bridging the gap between the government and the people.

The central BJP leadership is focusing hard on strengthening the party’s base in Odisha where it has formed its government for the first time after getting a clear majority in the state Assembly in the last election.

The leadership treats Odisha as one of the key states as far as its growth in the eastern region is concerned.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his election campaign in the state had made the importance of Odisha for his party amply clear. He had also repeatedly raised the slogan of “Jai Jagannath” invoking the state’s presiding deity during the campaign and even after BJP’s spectacular victory in the elections.