Chandy readies for fourth mass contact programme

The fourth edition of the popular mass contact programme (MCP) is expected to start rolling at all district headquarters of Kerala shortly, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Wednesday.

The people residing in the state's 14 districts can register complaints regarding any issues they face, either at his website or go to any Akshaya centre (a one-stop shop for all IT needs that has the support of the state IT department).

In the last MCP held in 2013, a record 3.19 lakh complaints were received by Chandy.

Replying to questions on the impact of the third edition held in 2013, Chandy said he had an interaction with the district collectors on this.

"I was told that in 10 districts, there was 100 percent achievement, and in two others it touched 97 percent. We are working on the next edition of the MCP," the CM told reporters here after the weekly cabinet meeting.

The highlight of the programme is that Chandy meets each and every person who has registered a complaint and makes sure that the complaint gets sorted out as officials from every department attend the programme.

Most of the applications relate to financial assistance, issuance of ration cards, status changes from above poverty line category to below poverty line category.

In 2013, he received the United Nations Global Award for Public Service at a ceremony held in Bahrain for his programme.

In the same year, a division bench of the high court slammed the attitude of the bureaucrats because had they been doing their job properly the chief minister need not have taken up this programme.

The mass contact programme was first launched by Chandy in 2004, but was discontinued when the V.S. Achuthanandan government assumed office in 2006.

When Chandy returned as chief minister he held the programme in 2011 and 2013.

Chandy expects he will be able to make a good impact through this programme as the local bodies poll is expected to be held later this year and the assembly polls next year.