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The government has constituted the Grievance Redressal Committee in order to improve the efficiency of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) as a facilitator of India’s exports and imports. The setting up of the Committee is in pursuance of the announcement to this effect made by Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, in the new Foreign Trade Policy on August 31, 2004. This new mechanism, Shri Kamal Nath has said, will facilitate speedy redressal of grievances of trade and industry which, he hoped, would substantially reduce prolonged and unnecessary litigations and foster a relationship of partnership between government and the trade and industry.
The three-member Committee, will be headed by Shri Gopal K. Pillai, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, as Chairman and Shri Rahul Khullar, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce and Shri S. Jagadeesan, Joint Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) as members.
The order issued by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry dated 27th October, 2004, says that the functions of the Committee will be: (a) to provide speedy redressal of grievances of trade and industry pertaining to non-statutory matters; and (b) to hear all grievances against decisions taken in the DGFT Headquarters. An important feature is that exporters can send all grievances to the Chairman of the Committee in electronic form besides other normal modes.
According to the proposal cleared by Shri Kamal Nath, the Committee will devise modalities for its functioning and will meet once every fortnight to attend to the grievances of exporters and importers.
Earlier, the resolution of 30th August, 2004 announcing the Policy had stated that: "DGFT has a commitment to function as a facilitator of exports and imports. The focus is on good governance, which depends on clean, transparent and accountable delivery systems. DGFT has in place a Citizen’s Charter which lays down its commitment to serve importers and exporters. It also gives time schedules for providing services to clients, and details of grievance committees at different levels".
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