Dikhyaa Mohanty 
In an effort to boost administrative efficiency and improve responsiveness to public concerns, the Odisha government has directed that no official or departmental meetings be held on Mondays. The move is intended to allow officials to devote the entire day exclusively to hearing and resolving public grievances, ensuring uninterrupted engagement with citizens.
The directive was issued by Chief Secretary Anu Garg following a recent secretary-level review meeting, where deliberations centred on streamlining governance and strengthening public service delivery. Applicable to all tiers of administration—from the state headquarters to the panchayat level—the order underscores that Mondays must remain meeting-free so officials can focus solely on grievance redressal.
Sources familiar with the decision said the initiative aims to enhance accountability and ensure that citizens’ complaints are addressed without administrative distractions, thereby fostering greater public trust and a more citizen-oriented governance framework.
The decision comes against the backdrop of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s claim that the state’s grievance redressal mechanism has earned substantial public confidence, with nearly 95 per cent of complaints received at the Chief Minister’s grievance cell resolved so far. Majhi revived the grievance cell, which had remained defunct since 2008, after the BJP came to power in the state.
In addition to the Monday meeting ban, the Chief Secretary has also mandated monthly review meetings for flagship infrastructure projects on the third Saturday of every month. These meetings will evaluate the progress of 10 to 11 major projects per department, identify bottlenecks, and ensure timely implementation.
Departments have further been instructed to submit regular reports on the outcomes of grievance hearings, reinforcing the administration’s renewed emphasis on effective and accountable governance.
