Bhubaneswar, June 21: The Odisha government on Thursday asked all District Collectors to instruct officers concerned to take early and appropriate action on public grievances received through social media.

According an official, the state government receives a lot of grievances from various quarters through various social media accounts through Twitter and Facebook, and these are being forwarded to Additional District Magistrates (ADM), sub-Collectors and Tehsildars concerned for taking appropriate action in the matter.

In a letter to District Collectors, Revenue and Disaster Management Secretary Chandra Sekhar Kumar said that it was seen that the grievances so intimated to officers concerned are not being attended to properly, and piling up at that level.

Inaction on the part of the officials concerned is being flagged in the social media by the same applicant and is causing huge embarrassment to the government, he said, adding social media is becoming an integral part of good governance as it is an easy and dependable channel for communication at every level and allows people to give feedback on various governmental initiatives.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has also given emphasis on the use of social media for redressal of peoples' grievances, said Kumar.

"You are, therefore, requested to instruct the ADMs and officers concerned under your administration to take early and appropriate action on the public grievances received through social media and ensure that the action so taken must also be intimated to this department," he said.

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Gurugram/New Delhi: A case involving a former Ashoka University student has drawn attention after her parents alleged she went missing and sought a probe into an alleged network, while court records indicate that the woman had left home voluntarily and sought legal protection to live independently.

According to The Print, the parents, who are both academics, have approached the Haryana State Commission for Women, alleging that their daughter was manipulated and used by university officials. They have requested a probe by the National probe Agency and have named multiple individuals, including academic members, researchers, and students, in their complaints.

However, the university stated that the woman ceased to be a student in May 2023 and that its instructors and staff have no participation in the situation.

According to documentation in the case, the woman, who was 22 at the time, left her Rohtak home on October 24, 2023. In her written communication with police officers and the station house officer in Sonipat, she stated that she had departed on her own accord, alleging years of physical and emotional abuse at home and demanding secrecy regarding her location.

She subsequently recorded a statement before a magistrate under provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure. She affirmed her decision to live independently and in later complaints, she alleged continued attempts by her family to contact her and sought police protection.

Court records from the Delhi High Court show that she appeared in person before the court in May 2024 and stated that she wished to choose her own way of life and did not want to interact with her family. The court noted her statement and recorded that she was a major acting of her own volition.

In a subsequent order, the court noted that she had been provided police protection since November 2023 and was residing independently, granting her liberty to approach the court again if required.
The parents, meanwhile, have maintained that their daughter was a meritorious student and alleged that she was traced earlier to premises linked to university staff. They also raised concerns over financial transactions and a name change, which they claim point to a larger network.

At the centre of their allegations is Bittu Kaveri Rajaraman, an associate professor at the university. No response has been issued by the individuals named in the complaint so far.
After the matter was taken up by the women’s commission, chairperson Renu Bhatia said the panel may recommend a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

During the hearings, a lawyer claiming to represent the woman arrived before the commission even though she had not been summoned and the commission has asked for her personal appearance.