Who Is Responsible for This Public Service? A Simple Guide for Citizens

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TL;DR: When a public service fails — water supply, roads, street lights, sanitation — we often don’t know which level of government or which department is responsible. This guide helps you find the right authority so you can raise the issue in the right place.

Centre vs State vs Local: Some services are run by the Centre (e.g. railways, central schemes). Many day-to-day services — water, roads, street lights, local sanitation — are with the State or the local body (panchayat or municipality). Your ward councillor or panchayat secretary can often tell you which department handles what.

What you can do: (1) Identify the service (e.g. water, roads) and check whether it is local, State, or Central. (2) Use the right grievance portal — CPGRAMS for Central, your State portal for State issues, local body for ward/gram panchayat. (3) Keep the reference number and follow up. Our documentation has a section on Local Governance and Federal Structure.

Related: Understanding Local Government Roles · How to Raise a Public Issue