Party and government organs at all levels should put people's petitions on their agenda and keep updated accordingly, said Wu Zhenglong, Governor of Jiangsu, during his inspection tour on Friday to the provincial center for handling petitions.
In the provincial center for handling petitions, Wu Zhenglong learned about the operation of the center and the use of the "Self-service Platform for Jiangsu Sunshine Letters and Visits ", and observed the online processing of petition letters.
The agency should ensure sufficient funding and personnel for dealing with petition letters and visits, and work to prevent and reduce conflicts that result in petitions, he said.
Leading officials should take responsibilities for the handling of petitions that fall within their scope of duty, the governor said.
Wu also inspected the center for petition letters set up by the prefectural cities to extend his greetings and appreciation to the officials for the work they have done.
Wu Zhenglong said that in the past year, the province's petition system has conscientiously implemented the decision-making arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, as well as the work requirements of the provincial party committee and the provincial government, and has done a lot of hard, meticulous and fruitful work, thereby making positive contributions to the sustained, stable and healthy development of the economy and society.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China and also a crucial year for building a well-off society at a high level, the governor said, adding that it is of great significance to do a good job in this year's handling of petition letters and the petition departments at all levels must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping's new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, uphold the "four consciousnesses" and safeguard the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee.
He urged the petition system to strengthen the thinking and awareness of the rule of law, do everything possible to solve problems for the people, and strive to resolve contradictions at the grassroots level so as to ensure the overall stability of the society.
In 2016, Chinese authorities issued a regulation that defines the responsibilities of the Communist Party of China and state organs in handling petitions.
The regulation applies to many institutions, including CPC organs, administrative bodies, legislative and judicial agencies, political advisory bodies and mass organizations.
It also stipulated that leading officials at all levels should read and reply to mailed or online petition letters, receive visits from petitioners on a regular basis and help address the thorny issues revealed in petitioning.
Those working at the agencies should handle petitions in an impartial, clean and thoughtful manner, and be attentive to confidentiality, it said.
Moreover, the regulation highlighted supervision over the handling of petitions, stating that agencies at all levels should conduct at least one relevant annual inspection accordingly.
Punishment for officials who fail to handle petitions properly was also stressed in the regulation.
Officials should be held accountable if improper decision-making or neglect of duty cause major petition incidents or damage people's interests, said the regulation.
Senior supervisors should also be called to account and undertake joint liability if their subordinates harm other people's interests.
(Source：ourjiangsu.com)
