Kudligi (Vijayanagara district), September 2026 : The Karnataka government has launched a new citizen-centric initiative aimed at ending repeated visits to government offices for routine services and grievance redressal. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday launched the ‘Praja Seva Abhiyan’ in Kudligi town of Vijayanagara district, promising a more accessible, transparent and time-bound system for addressing public concerns.
The initiative is being implemented through the newly introduced Praja Seva Department and is designed to take government services closer to citizens. Under the programme, elected representatives and government officials will meet people at the local level, listen to their grievances and facilitate the delivery of various government services.
Addressing the launch event, Shivakumar said the government was working towards establishing a system in which officials would reach citizens directly instead of people having to repeatedly visit government offices.
“Even if every problem cannot be resolved immediately, this will provide a better opportunity to understand people’s concerns directly and work towards finding solutions,” he said.
What is Praja Seva?
Praja Seva is a government mechanism aimed at simplifying access to routine public services and reducing the burden on citizens. It will cover matters such as pensions, Pahani or Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops (RTC), ration cards and other departmental services.
The initiative will allow citizens to raise their grievances closer to their homes while giving authorities a fixed timeframe within which applications and complaints are expected to be addressed.
The government also aims to improve administrative transparency by making officials accountable for responding to complaints and providing citizens with a mechanism to track the progress of their applications.
How will the Praja Seva system work?
- Application forms at citizens’ homes: Forms will be delivered to households 15 days before every scheduled Praja Seva meeting.
- Prepare supporting documents: Citizens can use this period to fill out the forms and collect documents required for their particular service or grievance.
- Submit applications: Completed forms and supporting documents can be submitted to officials in advance or directly at the Praja Seva meeting.
- Taluk-level meetings: On the first and third Saturdays, district in-charge ministers will mandatorily conduct public grievance meetings at the taluk level.
- Gram panchayat-level meetings: On the second and fourth Saturdays, MLAs and government officials will hold meetings at gram panchayats to hear and address local grievances.
- Expansion to hobli level: The government plans to subsequently extend the system to the hobli level to bring the service closer to more citizens.
- AI-powered helpline: Citizens can use the 1902 helpline, supported by an AI-powered call centre, to obtain information and assistance.
- Real-time application tracking: Applicants will be able to monitor the status of their applications online in real time.
- Weekly review: Applications will be reviewed every Wednesday at the taluk and district levels.
- Automatic escalation: If a grievance is not resolved within the prescribed timeframe, it will automatically be escalated to senior officials.
Documents citizens should keep ready
Citizens seeking government services or registering grievances will need to submit relevant supporting documents along with their applications.
- Identity and address proof: Aadhaar card, voter ID or ration card and mobile number.
- Land and property matters: Relevant RTC/Pahani records, property registration documents or sale deed and family tree.
- Social security and pensions: Income and caste certificates, medical certificate for persons with disabilities where applicable, pension-related documents and bank passbook.
- New or corrected ration cards: Aadhaar cards of all family members and birth certificates of children when a new name is being added.
- Revenue and infrastructure complaints: Previous receipts or a written application, along with photographs wherever applicable, for issues related to electricity, drinking water, drainage and other public infrastructure.
Focus on accountability and faster resolution
The government has built a monitoring mechanism into Praja Seva to ensure that applications do not remain pending indefinitely. Regular reviews at the taluk and district levels are intended to identify unresolved cases, while automatic escalation will ensure that complaints that cross the stipulated deadline reach senior officials.
The initiative is also expected to improve direct interaction between citizens and elected representatives. Instead of navigating multiple government departments, people will have a designated platform at the local level to present their concerns and seek assistance.
With Praja Seva Abhiyan, the Karnataka government aims to reduce the need for repeated visits to government offices, particularly for people living in rural and remote areas. By combining doorstep communication, scheduled grievance meetings, digital tracking and time-bound escalation, the government hopes to create a more responsive and citizen-friendly administration.
The programme is being positioned as an important step towards bringing government closer to the people while making public service delivery more transparent, accountable and efficient.
