Bhubaneswar: In an unusual move aimed at strengthening public grievance redressal and improving governance, revenue divisional commissioner (southern division) Vijay Amruta Kulange, a 2013-batch IAS officer, has publicly shared his mobile phone number and invited citizens from eight districts under his jurisdiction to contact him directly through WhatsApp with complaints, pending works and civic issues.Kulange announced the initiative through a post on social media platform X, saying the move would help bridge administrative gaps and ensure that citizens’ concerns reach the appropriate authorities without delay. “I have recently joined as RDC, southern division, Odisha, which covers eight districts. I would like to encourage everyone to bring to my notice any issues relating to pending works, public grievances, or other problems faced by civilians. You can highlight such issues. I will coordinate with the concerned district administration and make efforts to resolve the issues. I am also sharing my mobile number. You may share relevant information, concerns, or details with me through WhatsApp as well,” Kulange wrote.The southern RDC division oversees the districts of Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kalahandi and Rayagada. Most of these districts have substantial tribal populations and are administered by district collectors, while the RDC serves as a supervisory authority responsible for monitoring governance and coordination across the division.Explaining the rationale behind the initiative, Kulange said grievance redressal remains one of the most important indicators of effective governance and that delays in resolving public complaints often point to systemic shortcomings. “Under the 1957 Act, the RDC office has been set up as the supervisory or chief executive authority for the division. It looks after general administration, law and order and local self-governance. When we talk about governance, we mean grievance. There are complaints of people not getting solved on time. I will look for the reasons and try to identify the gaps. If officers are intentionally harassing people, that also has to be addressed,” he said.To ensure follow-up, Kulange said a dedicated grievance redressal officer has been deputed in the RDC office and action-taken reports will be monitored on complaints received.The senior officer said his decision was influenced by extensive field visits following recent cyclone and flood situations in the region, during which he observed shortcomings in service delivery and communication between citizens and the administration.Former chief secretary P K Jena complimented Kulange on his X and wrote, “Great @Vijaykulange. Way to go. I wish other officers follow what you have shared here. Look forward to your social media activities. All the best wishes.”