Patna: The Bihar government will issue closed user group (CUG) mobile numbers to all executive officers, sanitation officers and city managers by January 15 in a move aimed at improving accessibility and responsiveness in urban governance.
The decision was announced by the deputy chief minister and urban development and housing minister, Vijay Kumar Sinha, during a review meeting with senior department officials on Tuesday. Sinha said the measure would make it easier for the public to directly contact key municipal officials to raise grievances and seek assistance.
The government also plans to set up a dedicated call centre for complaints and suggestions after Makar Sankranti, alongside the launch of a WhatsApp number to further streamline public communication.
Raising concerns over urban infrastructure, Sinha said the condition of arterial roads in major cities was unsatisfactory. He directed municipal corporations to identify damaged stretches and carry out repairs on a priority basis. Officials were also instructed to accelerate infrastructure development work in the state’s 11 newly planned cities.
In a push for administrative reform, the deputy chief minister asked the department to review existing laws and regulations, amending or replacing those deemed unnecessary. He said the objective was to reduce public harassment and curb corruption.
The meeting was attended by the principal secretary, Vinay Kumar, additional secretaries Vijay Prakash Meena and Manoj Kumar, and other senior officials of the urban development and housing department.
