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CASE STUDY
SORASORI MUKHYAMANTRI:
BUILDING PUBLIC TRUST
DR. P B SALIM, IAS The present paper explores 1. Introduction
implementation and impact Trust in government
of the grievance redressal institutions is essential to
initiatives under the Chief foster citizen engagement and
Minister’s Office (CMO) in ensure effective delivery of
West Bengal, India. Launched in public services. West Bengal,
2019 and revamped in 2023 as with a projected population
Sorasori Mukhyamantri (SSM), of 103 million in 2024, is
the project integrates advanced India’s fourth-most populous
Information and Communication and thirteenth-largest state
Technologies (ICT), including by area. Despite having a
artificial intelligence (AI) and well-established framework
real-time data processing, to for people-oriented welfare
improve public service delivery schemes, delivering efficient
public services has remained
through prompt grievance a challenge in this densely
resolution processes. It enables populated state. State
citizens to voice their grievances Government departments
directly to the highest levels of have been trying to address
government and works to foster citizens’ concerns by
transparency and accountability establishing grievance-
of the administration to ensure redressal mechanisms, but
inclusive governance at the without a coordinating
grassroots. With over 4.6 system, people are faced with
million grievances addressed little options but to navigate
and 75% of them resolved, multiple offices and bear
the project demonstrates how substantial costs to have their
technology may be leveraged complaints addressed. Thus,
to ensure a people-centric while wealthier individuals
afford
can
to
expedite
governance. The paper highlights their concerns, the poor,
the methodology, results, illiterate, and marginalised
replicability, sustainability, and communities may be left
alignment with Sustainable
Secretary, Monitoring and without support, facing
Coordination, Chief Minister’s Development Goals (SDGs), denial of services. Prior to
Office, Government of West Bengal offering insights for national and the operationalisation of the
pbsalim@gmail.com global replication. present grievance-redressal
April, 2025, Volume 26. No.1 - SHELTER 43
