The Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department has introduced a new time-bound grievance redressal system to ensure transparency and speedy disposal of public complaints related to town and village planning.
A spokesperson of the TCP Department said the new guidelines aim to create a transparent and effective mechanism for resolving TCP-related grievances at the local level and to ensure their timely redressal. The initiative is expected to streamline complaint handling and strengthen accountability within the department.
Under the new system, grievance redressal authorities have been constituted at the divisional, sub-divisional and office levels. At the Divisional Town Planning Office, a Divisional Town Planning Grievance Redressal Authority has been set up, where complainants can submit their grievances to the Town and Country Planner. If they are not satisfied with the decision, an appeal can be filed before the State Town Planner.
Similarly, at the Sub-Divisional Town Planning Office level, complaints can be submitted to the Assistant Town Planner, and in case of dissatisfaction, appeals can be made to the Town and Country Planner. At the Town Planning Office level, grievances can be filed with the Planning Officer, and if the complainant is not satisfied with the resolution, the complaint can be forwarded to the Town and Country Planner for further action.
The spokesperson said that in districts where Divisional Town Planning Offices are not available, residents of Chamba can submit complaints to the Town and Country Planner at Dharamshala, residents of Una to the Town and Country Planner at Hamirpur, and residents of Bilaspur to the Town and Country Planner at Mandi.
As per the guidelines, complaints will be heard within 15 working days and resolved within 30 working days. If a grievance is not disposed of within the stipulated period, it will be forwarded for further action within five working days. Appeals will be registered within five working days, while the hearing and review process will be completed within 30 working days. A final decision on appeals will be issued within 60 working days from the date of registration.
The spokesperson said that grievances can be submitted through a dedicated portal available on the TCP Department’s website or in the prescribed format at the District Town Planner Office. To ensure effective monitoring, a State Grievance Monitoring Committee will be constituted to review the grievance redressal process and will submit half-yearly reports to the government.
