How IAS Vibhor Aggarwal is Reshaping Everyday Governance in West Garo Hills, Meghalaya

IAS Vibhor Aggarwal is a 2019 Batch Officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre and is currently posted as Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills, Meghalaya. His Vision for the district is rooted in making the life of locals easier, be it fixing everyday governance systems, improving maternal health outcomes , waste management or promotion of local products and entrepreneurship.

“One of the first things I realised when I joined the district was that there is no proper follow-up mechanism for complaints” he says. “People come to the DC office with letters and petitions, but generally these complaints get missed out.”

To address this, the district administration has created a structured complaint management system. An internal portal is being developed where each grievance is registered, assigned a unique number and tracked through every stage. “We are tracking the entire history of the complaint as to how it is going on” Aggarwal explains. “There is a person who follows up with the departments and makes sure that they carry out the processing of these complaints.” This not only makes it hassle free for the citizens but also helps in saving time and increasing the efficiency of the system.

Recognizing that not every citizen is literate and tech savvy, he emphasises “Most of the public are not literate enough to use online grievance systems. They come with letters. For those people, their complaints generally get missed out” he notes. “This mechanism ensures that no complaint that comes to the notice of the DC office is ignored.”

Health, especially maternal health is another key area where the district is tightening administrative oversight. While state-level programmes are ongoing, Aggarwal points to institutional deliveries as a critical focus. “If more and more institutional deliveries happen, then it can reduce maternal deaths also,” he says.

To achieve this a monitoring system has been devised to track every expected delivery. Medical officers begin their follow ups at least two weeks prior and are accountable for reporting and explaining the reason of  home delivery if any, along with the corrective action taken.

Looking ahead, Aggarwal has planned ambitious initiatives in urban cleanliness and local economic development. Speaking about he said “Solid waste management is a priority”

Another project in the pipeline is a dedicated local mart. “This will be like any other shopping mart,” he says but with a clear distinction: “It will only have local products. No products from outside.”