Chandigarh: Haryana is gearing up for *‘Reform Utsav’, a major citizen-driven initiative aimed at giving people a direct and meaningful role in shaping governance reforms. Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi today reviewed the preparations and emphasised the need for a clear, structured and time-bound mechanism to ensure that genuine suggestions received from citizens are not merely recorded but are converted into actionable reforms and taken through to implementation.
Scheduled from October to December 2026, Reform Utsav will empower citizens to spotlight issues in government processes and propose solutions that benefit entire communities. This bottom-up movement is designed to make governance smarter, simpler, and truly results-driven. The preparation phase will start in August, including raising awareness in departments and making the State Action Plan, which is due by September 10, 2026.
Haryana is preparing to extend its reform drive from the state capital to every village, town, and community, opening the doors for widespread citizen participation. The campaign is committed to guiding every citizen’s voice from idea to impactful reform, ensuring each suggestion finds a clear path to action.
Commissioner & Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Dr. Amit Kumar Agrawal informed that the initiative will operate through three principal stages—Jan Manthan, Vimarsh and Jan Samadhan. During Jan Manthan, citizens will contribute their reform ideas through the Reform Utsav website and extensive community outreach. In the Vimarsh stage, government departments will sift through these ideas, selecting those with the power to spark significant, system-wide improvements. Jan Samadhan will swiftly roll out quick reforms while laying the groundwork for more complex changes.
He said this plan ensures the journey does not end with collecting opinions. The government is committed to moving from feedback to thoughtful discussion and, ultimately, decisive action, with every step transparently tracked on the Reform Utsav website.
Chief Secretary-led committee to drive coordination
A State Coordination Committee, led by the Chief Secretary, will guide the initiative, ensure that different departments work together, monitor progress, and make changes as needed. The framework also establishes State and District-level contact points to collaborate with departments and boost local outreach. A dedicated website and dashboard will gather suggestions, track those selected for action, and display live updates on reforms at both State and national levels.
The most visible phase of the campaign will begin on October 2, when Jan Manthan Sabhas are proposed to be held in every Panchayat. These Sabhas will unite citizens and district officials, with MPs, MLAs, Deputy Commissioners, SPs, and other senior leaders joining the local conversations. Help desks managed by MY Bharat volunteers and Common Service Centres will make it easy for citizens to submit their suggestions on the spot.
Director, Information, Public Relations, Languages & Culture, Dr. Aditya Dahiya informed that the campaign will tap into a vast outreach network, engaging village councils, local gatherings, schools, women’s self-help groups, farmer collectives, traders, factories, cooperatives, and resident welfare associations. Online and mass media campaigns, along with social media, local radio, TV, WhatsApp, and SMS messages, will amplify the campaign’s reach and energise on-the-ground efforts.
Focus on systemic solutions
A standout feature of Reform Utsav is its focus on separating individual grievances from true reform ideas that can drive systemic change. The plan sets out five tests to determine whether a suggestion counts as a reform: it should apply broadly, fix a root problem in the system, bring about future change, be repeatable or scalable, and provide a positive way forward.
From October 10 to November 30, departments will review suggestions and sort actionable ideas into quick wins and medium-term reforms. Quick wins will be implemented immediately, while medium-term reforms will be mapped out with clear implementation plans. Reforms needing collaboration across departments will go to the State Coordination Committee for review.
The Jan Samadhan phase, running from October 10 to December 20, will be all about action. Progress on quick-win reforms will be updated on the website, and plans for medium-term reforms will be shared openly with the public.
The initiative will conclude with Sankalp Siddhi from December 25 to 27, a time to showcase successes, share best practices, and present impact data. The Centre will honour top-performing States and districts, along with active village councils, city bodies, engaged citizens, and dedicated frontline workers.
The initiative is more than a feedback campaign; it is a results-driven reform movement. By creating a clear channel for citizens to report systemic issues and connecting those ideas to departmental reviews, timelines, and public tracking, Haryana is working to build a government where citizen participation sparks real change and visible improvements in services.
Director General, Industries & Commerce, Yash Garg, Secretary, Haryana Public Service Commission, Pankaj, Special Secretary, Monitoring & Coordination, Dr. Priyanka Soni, and other senior officers were present in the meeting.
