Directs Immediate Action on Pending Complaints, Office Discipline, Sewer Maintenance, and Public Safety
Lucknow: Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant conducted a surprise inspection of the Jal Kal Department’s General Manager’s office at Aishbagh on Tuesday, uncovering serious shortcomings in office discipline, complaint redressal mechanisms, and sewer maintenance. The inspection was aimed at assessing administrative efficiency and ensuring better public service delivery.
During the inspection, the Commissioner first reviewed attendance and leave registers. He observed that employees absent from duty were routinely being granted casual leave (CL), even in cases involving unauthorized absence and delayed reporting. While examining attendance records for June 5, he found instances where employees who arrived late or remained absent without prior notice had been granted leave without adequate scrutiny.
Expressing strong displeasure, Pant directed officials to ensure strict adherence to service rules and establish accountability in cases of indiscipline and unauthorized absence. He also noted the absence of a dedicated field visit register to monitor staff movements and inspections. Calling it a serious administrative gap, he instructed the General Manager to immediately introduce a tour register detailing employees’ field visits, purpose, location, duration, and outcomes.
Large Backlog of Public Complaints Raises Concern
The Commissioner then inspected the department’s control room and reviewed complaints received through online portals, telephone calls, and other channels.
The review revealed a substantial backlog of unresolved complaints. As of June 10, 2026, a total of 232 complaints received via telephone had remained pending for more than seven days, including six cases dating back to 2025. The oldest unresolved complaint was found to be from February 1, 2025.
Similarly, out of 847 pending complaints received through the Municipal Corporation, 357 had remained unresolved for over seven days.
Further scrutiny showed that 110 complaints were pending at the level of Zonal Manager Yogesh Singh of SUEZ India, including 31 reopened complaints, while 52 complaints were pending under Junior Engineer D.B. Singh, of which 21 had been reopened.
Taking serious note of the situation, the Commissioner directed officials to ensure that every complaint is resolved within the prescribed timeline. He emphasized that merely closing complaints on paper was unacceptable and that permanent, satisfactory solutions must be delivered to citizens.
Warning Against False Disposal of Complaints
Pant also reviewed reopened complaints and examined cases where citizens had repeatedly lodged grievances regarding the same issue. During the inspection, he personally contacted several complainants from the control room to verify the status of grievance redressal.
The exercise revealed that many complaints had not been satisfactorily resolved, while some had been marked as disposed of despite incomplete work.
Calling such practices unacceptable, the Commissioner warned officials that “paper disposal” or false closure of complaints would not be tolerated. He instructed that citizens’ satisfaction should be the primary benchmark for grievance redressal and cautioned that strict action would be taken against employees found submitting misleading reports.
Direct Verification at Complaint Site in Aliganj
To assess the ground reality, Pant personally visited a complaint location on Central Building Road in Sector-H, Aliganj, where he interacted directly with residents and inspected the quality of departmental action.
During the field inspection, he ordered the opening of several manhole covers to assess the sewer system. The inspection revealed that the sewer line in the area was completely choked, raising serious concerns of sewage overflow during the upcoming monsoon season.
The Commissioner expressed deep dissatisfaction over the condition of the sewer network, describing it as a clear example of departmental negligence.
Damaged Manholes Pose Safety Threat
The inspection also found several manhole covers in damaged, broken, and unsafe condition, posing significant risks to pedestrians and motorists, especially during nighttime.
Pant directed the Jal Kal Department to launch a special drive to clean all blocked sewer lines immediately and replace damaged manhole covers within a fixed timeframe. He instructed officials to conduct area-wise surveys to identify vulnerable locations affected by sewer overflow or damaged infrastructure and prioritize corrective measures.
Officials have also been asked to submit photographic evidence of completed works within the stipulated period.
Action Ordered on Negative Media Reports
The Commissioner reviewed recent negative media reports concerning the department and instructed the General Manager to take immediate cognizance of such reports, verify facts, and initiate corrective and preventive action wherever required.
He further directed that voice recordings of complaint-related telephone conversations be securely preserved to improve transparency and facilitate quality audits of the grievance redressal process.
Strict Accountability Ahead of Monsoon
Issuing a strong warning ahead of the monsoon season, Pant stated that if sewer overflows, waterlogging, or damaged manholes result in accidents or loss of life, concerned officials would be held personally accountable and face strict administrative action.
Concluding the inspection, the Divisional Commissioner emphasized that the Jal Kal Department is a critical public service institution directly linked to citizens’ daily lives. He called upon all officials and employees to work with greater sensitivity, accountability, and commitment.
He directed regular monitoring of complaint redressal, sewer maintenance, water supply systems, office discipline, and field operations, stressing that negligence, laxity, or false disposal of public complaints would not be accepted under any circumstances.
“Every citizen should feel confident that the administration is fully committed to resolving public grievances promptly, effectively, and permanently,” he said
