While launching the portal CEC, Rigzin Spalbar assured that no stone will be kept unturned to redress genuine complaints received online by LAHDC through the portal.  He, however, made it clear that complaints sent to score points out of personal grudges and also the ones sent anonymously with ulterior motives shall not be entertained but proper mechanism will be put in place to identify genuine complaints.  Spalbar informed that directions had already been issued to all Head of Departments (HODs) to regularly check their portals so that even a single complaint doesn’t remain unattended.

 National Informatics Centre (NIC) Leh has given necessary trainings to HODs to familiarise them with the technology to attend online grievances of the public. The portal has been developed by National Institute of Electronic and Information Technology (NIELIT) Leh with support from NIC Leh.  CEC also placed on his appreciation to the Deputy Commissioner/CEO, LAHDC, Leh Saugat Biswas and the officials of NIC and NIELIT who put in their efforts to develop the online portal.  Saugat Biswas termed the development important to put the region under the ambit of e-governance. 

One can visit www.leh.nic.in and click ‘LAHDC Public Grievance Portal’ on the left-hand side to lodge a complaint.  Having a mobile number is a prime requisition as the complainant will receive a reference ID through SMS once a complaint is submitted online.  If a complaint is sent to the CEC, he will forward it to the DC/CEO; LAHDC with his remarks and the DC will direct the concerned departments for necessary action or seek an explanation. The complainant will receive all updates on SMS or status of the complaint can also be tracked online with the reference ID.  Executive Councillors, Councillors, HODs, former legislatures including former Ministers Skyabje Tokdan Rinpoche and Pintoo Norbu, representatives from religious, political, and voluntary organisations and senior citizens, who attended the launch ceremony of the online portal, was given a representation by NIC and NIELIT engineers to register complaints. The portal is said to be friendly and easy to access.

The unanimity has always been seen in Leh between LAHDC and religious, social and political organisations when it comes to take steps in curbing irregularities in the system to make it people friendly and accountable. In 2004, LAHDC, Leh launched an anti-corruption drive and in early 2014, the Panchayat Coordination Committee Leh in association with religious and political organisations also started an anticorruption drive against all forms of corrupt practices and irregularities which are causing a huge loss to the public exchequer. 

However, these initiatives, despite noble objectives behind them, seem to have died their silent deaths because of lack of any follow up after impressive launches followed by several congratulatory messages from different quarters on the All India Radio, Leh.  Let’s hope that the fate of the online portal launched doesn’t turn out to be the same someday.