Chief Minister's Office, Gujarat State

State Wide Attention on Grievances by Application of Technology

Chief Minister's Online Grievance Redressal System

About SWAGAT

The Hon. Chief Minister of Gujarat firmly believes, “People’s voice is the key driver of democracy, and listening to that voice is the ultimate test of good governance.” Guided by this principle, Gujarat implemented an innovative solution for effective, transparent, and accountable grievance redressal. This was achieved through an online public portal and video-conferencing system connecting the Hon. Chief Minister with District to resolve grievances.
On April 24, 2003, Gujarat became the first state in India to integrate digital and communication technologies for grievance redressal under the program SWAGAT (State- Wide Attention on Grievances by Application of Technology). Significantly, "SWAGAT" means “Welcome” in the local language, symbolizing an open forum for citizens to seek solutions.

Vision and Objectives

The initiative was conceptualized under the guidance of the Honourable Chief Minister and executed collaboratively by officers of the Chief Minister’s Office and experts from the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

The overarching goals of SWAGAT include:

Strengthening Good Governance

  • Analyzing the nature and types of grievances submitted at all levels.
  • Ensuring the quality of redressal across administrative levels.

Activating Administration for Public Grievance Resolution

  • Monitoring grievance redressal efforts by local authorities.
  • Facilitating top-level intervention for unresolved grievances.

Process Workflow

1. Monthly Grievance Redressal Sessions

  • Held on the fourth Thursday of every month, applicants visit the Chief Minister’s Office in the morning.
  • Grievances are scrutinized, registered, and transmitted online to relevant authorities at State, District, and Sub-District levels.
  • By afternoon, authorities input their replies into the system.

2. Direct Interaction with the Hon. Chief Minister

  • Starting at approx. 3:00 PM, the Hon. Chief Minister personally hears grievances in the presence of concerned Secretaries and through videoconferencing with District officials.
  • Replies and details are displayed on-screen for transparent discussions.

3. Follow-up and Monitoring

  • Instructions for resolution are issued immediately, recorded in the SWAGAT database, and tracked.
  • Applicants can monitor the status of their grievances online using a secure login.

Eligibility for Grievance Submission

  • Grievances must have been previously raised with appropriate authorities (Sub- District or District Officers) but remain unresolved.
  • Cases considered include:
    • Long-standing issues
    • Acute humanitarian concerns
    • Matters requiring policy-level intervention

Expansion and Impact

  • The success of SWAGAT at the State level led to its expansion in 2008 to cover 248 Sub-District offices, enhancing accessibility for 6.25 million citizens.
  • SWAGAT sessions are now conducted at:
    • Sub-District level: Held on the fourth Wednesday of every month.
    • District level: Conducted the day before the State-level session.
The system’s integrated software allows real-time review of outcomes at all levels (Sub- District, District, and State).