09 August,2025 06:03 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday called for the adoption of digital dashboards across all municipal bodies. File Pic
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday called for the adoption of digital dashboards across all municipal bodies in the state to resolve minor public complaints at the ward level.
The dashboard initiative has been designed to resolve minor complaints at the municipal ward level itself so that citizens get "justice on the spot", Shinde said.
The initiative aims to ensure faster resolution and "justice at your doorstep," reported the PTI.
Speaking at the inauguration of a new court complex in Ambernath area of Thane district in Maharashtra, in the presence of Bombay High Court Justice Girish Kulkarni, Eknath Shinde said that he learned during the event that Justice Kulkarni had previously directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to develop such a dashboard.
The state deputy CM immediately contacted BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, who informed him that the dashboard system was ready and awaiting judicial approval.
The dashboard is also designed to address small-scale civic disputes quickly at the ward level, improving public service delivery.
"The goal is to provide citizens with quick relief without requiring lengthy legal proceedings. Justice should reach people, not the other way around," Eknath Shinde said, according to the PTI.
He directed the Urban Development Department's Additional Chief Secretary to ensure the dashboard mechanism is implemented in all municipal corporations and councils across Maharashtra.
Calling the newly inaugurated court complex a "nyaya mandir" (temple of justice), equally important as a "Shiv mandir", Shinde highlighted the government's efforts to modernise judicial infrastructure.
He also announced that outdated court buildings in Kalyan will be replaced with new complexes in collaboration with the Urban Development Department (UDD) and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
"In the past two-and-a-half years, we've opened 32 new courts, including 14 district and additional sessions courts," Eknath Shinde said.
He added, "We have also sanctioned 2,863 new judicial officer posts and 11,000 supporting staff positions."
The Deputy CM added that the state government is committed to providing the judiciary with the necessary tools -- especially in the fields of digitalisation, information technology, and artificial intelligence -- and has allocated sufficient funds for these upgrades, the news agency reported.
