(1) After receipt of complaint, the District Grievance Redressal Officer shall verify whether there is a primafacie substance in the complaint to proceed in the matter.
(2) If the District Grievance Redressal Officer is satisfied that there is a prima-facie substance in the complaint, he shall seek explanation in the matter from concerned officer or person or agency along with relevant documents. The requisite explanation and documents shall be furnished by the concerned officer/person/agency to the District Grievance Redressal Officer, within seven days.
(3) After considering the explanation of concerned officer or person or agency and the available documents, if the District Grievance Redressal Officer is satisfied with the veracity of the grievance, he may issue notice to all parties in the matter and fix a date, time and place for the hearing. The District Grievance Redressal Officer may also, at the request of the parties or suo moto, adjourn the proceedings to some other date with or without cost.
(4) On the date fixed for hearing, under sub-rule (3), the District Grievance Redressal Officer shall hear the parties and record the evidence. After hearing the parties and considering the evidence, the District Grievance Redressal Officer shall pass an order within thirty days from the date of receipt of the complaint:
Provided that on the date fixed for hearing, if the complainant or defending party is absent, the District Grievance Redressal Officer may dismiss or proceed to enquire the matter ex-parte, as he thinks fit.
(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rule (4), if the District Grievance Redressal Officer is of the opinion that the matter needs to be further investigated, he may direct any officer not below the rank of inspector of the department to investigate the matter and to submit a report. The District Grievance Redressal Officer after considering the report so received shall decide the matter within forty-five days from the date of receipt of the complaint.
(6) The complainant shall be informed about the decision on his complaint, in writing or through electronic mode which includes the mobile messages.
(7) If the District Grievance Redressal Officer is of the opinion that the disposal of the complaints requires more time than the time prescribed under the aforesaid sub-rules, he shall send the interim reply to the Complainant along with reasons for the delay, but such cases shall be decided by the District Grievance Redressal Officer within a period of sixty days from the date of receipt of the complaint.