Calls for the removal of liquor belt shops near residential areas took centre stage at the district-level Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS)  programme at Eluru Collectorate on Monday. District Collector K. Vetri Selvi, who chaired the meeting, directed officials to address the petitions and all public grievances promptly, warning that negligence would not be tolerated.

Vadlapati Venkateswara Rao of Kowvali in Denduluru mandal was among the petitioners, urging authorities to shut down liquor outlets operating close to homes, citing public nuisance and safety concerns.

Other petitions included requests from Chintalapudi mandal, where Dasari Suresh Kumar of Yandapalli sought guidance to set up a food processing centre to generate local employment. Meanwhile, Pindi Elisha of P. Kannapuram in Dwarakatirumala mandal asked for correction of land records and issuance of a pattadar passbook.

Vanarasi Lakshmi Rajyam from Kamavarapukota mandal complained of encroachment blocking access to her agricultural land and in Vara Venkateswara Rao from Jeelugumilli mandal sought enhanced compensation after losing part of his house to a road-widening project.

In total, 268 petitions were received from across the district during the session, attended by Joint Collector P. Dhatri Reddy, District Revenue Officer V. Visweshwar Rao, RDO M. Achyutha Ambareesh, Sub-Collector K. Bhaskar, ZP CEO M. Srihari, DRDA PD R. Vijaya Raju, SC Corporation ED M. Mukkanti, Survey AD Ansari, and Municipal Commissioner Bhanu Pratap.

The Collector instructed the officials to be fully conversant with the grievance redressal portal and to conduct on-the-spot inspections when needed. She emphasised that complaints should be resolved at the mandal and divisional levels, with final approvals and closures handled by district-level authorities to ensure quality outcomes. Petitions must be settled in such a way that they do not require reopening, she added.