CHIEF MINISTER'S SPECIAL CELL

25. Chief Minister's Special Cell is dealing with various grievances petition received  by  the Hon'ble Chief Minister from the general public.  Cheif Minister's Special Cell is functioning under an I.A.S. Officer who is designated as Special Officer.  The Chief Minister's Special Cell is open on all working days from 10.00 A.M. to 6.00 P.M.  Petitions  are received by the Special Officer, Chief Minister's Special Cell throughout during these timings on all working days.  Petitions are sorted in terms of grievances and are sent to the respective Departments / Head of Departments and District Collectors for necessary action.

26. Monthly review meetings are being held with all the Heads of Departments in Chennai in order to review the action taken on petitions forwarded to their Departments.  Similarly,    every alternate month all the Special Deputy Collectors attached to the Collectorates (Public Grievance Redressal Deputy Collectors) are called and review is done on the action taken on the Chief Minister's Special Cell petitions forwarded to the respective districts.  In the Collectors Conference held last year Hon'ble Chief Minister announced the "C.M. Special Award" to the District which achieves outstanding disposal of C.M. Cell petitions.

27. People come in large number every day to the Secretariat to give their petitions in person to the Honourable Chief Minister.  It has been decided to appoint additional  staff in the Chief Minister's Special Cell to assist the special officer in ascertaining the grievances of the petitioners and take appropriate follow up action,  and also to provide comfort and guidance to the petitioners in distress.

28.  Arrangements have also been made to facilitate the petitioners meet the Honourable Chief Minister at a speicified time, so that they need not wait for a long time.  Accordingly, subject to other exigencies, the Honourable Chief Minister,  will meet the Public on all days of her visit to Secretariat, between 1 P.M. and  2 P.M.

29. In order to strengthen the Computer systems available in the Chief Minister's Special Cell, an amount of Rs.23 lakhs have been sanctioned.

  30.  Besides, there is an emergency section in the Chief Minister's Special Cell wherein petitions that require immediate action are addressed to the concerned, through D.O. Letters, fax and also on telephone.  An  enquiry  counter  is there  at  the  reception  of    the    Chief Minister's Special Cell to attend to queries on petitions which have been submitted.

31. All petitions are acknowledged by the Chief Minister's Special Cell and final reply is given to the petitions by the concerned Departments  or District Collectors.  This procedure is followed in all cases except those which do not fall under the purview of existing Government schemes or involve judicial / vigilance trials / cases etc.

32. For the period 14.05.2001- 31.03.2002,  4,94,627 petitions have been received.  Of these 4,59,627 petitions (viz.92.92%) have been disposed.     Number of follow-up  petitions  is 1,29,493, of which 73% i.e. 94,394 have been disposed.

33. Achievements of the C.M.Special Cell

1. ·    6428 cases have been sanctioned pensions (OAP,DWP,WP,PHP)
2. ·    Political Pension (Freedom Figher Pension) has been sanctioned for 134 cases
3. ·   125 Meritorious students who had secured admission in Professional Colleges but were unable to join due to financial constraints have been given financial aid from CMPRF
4. ·     Assistance in the form of financial loans

and tool kits have been sanctioned to 8892 peritioners.

1. ·     926 petitioners have been assisted to undertake life saving surgeries.
2. ·      Nearly 3000 land related matters have been redressed.

CONSTRUCTION OF ADDITIONAL GUEST HOUSE  AT NEW DELHI

34.  The Government have approved construction of an additional Guest House at a rough cost estimate of Rs.22.07 crores by tying up funds from HUDCO.  For this purpose, land measuring 7956.62 Sq.mts. at Chanakyapuri, New Delhi was purchased during the year 1992, at  a cost of Rs.12.85 crores.  The construction which began in March 2001 is likely to be completed before 31st August 2002.  The floor construction has been structurally completed and finishing works are in progress.  Tenders for Elevators, Air-conditioning equipment, D.G. set HI and interior works have to be finalised.

TELEPHONES

35.  An amount of Rs.68,65,723/- (Rupees sixty eight lakhs sixty five thousand seven hundred and twenty three only) was allotted during 2001-2002 for replacing the old superphone system by a 100 lines ISDN Superphone Exchange and the old intercom system in Secretariat by a new 1000 lines Digital Intercom Exchange.   Accordingly, the new 100 lines ISDN Superphone Exchange was installed in Secretariat and  commissioned on 10.10.2001 and the 1000 lines Digital Intercom Exchange was commissioned on 1.1.2002.

GUJARAT EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FUND

36. The Government constituted "The Gujarat Earthquake Relief Fund" to render assistance to the affected people in Gujarat in the earthquake on 26.01.2001.  As on 31.03.2002, a sum of Rs.58,50,08,828.42 has been received in this fund.  Out of this, a cheque for Rs.30 crores was handed over to the Prime Minister for undertaking relief works in Gujarat, and a sum of Rs.6,14,11,473.00 was spent towards the   supply of relief materials like asbestos sheets, bed sheets and skimmed milk powder to the Government of Gujarat.

37. Requests were received for allocation of a portion of the collection of this Fund for providing assitance to the people of Tamil Nadu origin who were affected in the Gujarat earthquake.  Rs.10,25,000/- was sanctioned towards relief assistance to 41 persons who were affected in the earthquake.  A cheque for Rs.25,000/- was given to Tmt. P.L. Chitra on 18.7.2001 to meet the medical expenses for her husband who lost his leg during the earthquake.   A study team of officials deputed by the Government visited the affected areas in Gujarat and  has submitted its  report  to Government.  It has recommended for providing financial assistance and other relief measures to the affected Tamil people.  The report is under consideration by the Government.

Details of demand moved and funds sought for in B.E. for 2002-2003