Chandigarh: Mayor launches WhatsApp helpline number to redress plaints

CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has launched a special WhatsApp number where the public can lodge their grievances, enabling the civic body to handle public complaints in a better manner.
The WhatsApp number 7380033322 was launched on Thursday by mayor Rajesh Kumar. During the launch, he said that prompt action will be taken regarding the complaints received through the platform and the complainant will get a response after the problem has been resolved.
From Friday onwards, citizens started sending their complaints on the number, accompanied by pictures.The grievance redressal system of this number has been prepared in a manner that senior officers of the civic body would be able to check the real-time progress of the receipt and resolution of the complaints.
Sources in the MC revealed that the civic body has prepared different groups related to the different engineering services. Therefore, the building and road wing, the public health wing and the horticulture wing have separate groups. A staff member of the MC has been assigned the task of overlooking the entire exercise and send the complaints to relevant groups.
An MC official associated with the entire exercise has said: “The moment a complaint will be received, as per its nature, the same will be sent to the relevant group. The concerned officer will have to resolve the complaint and after it has been resolved, the same will be communicated to the complainant. Since all the senior officers are members in these groups, the timings of receipt of complaints and their redressal will be minutely monitored by all of them.”
First day: 9 shows
As per information, on the first day, Chandigarh MC received a total of 9 complaints on the newly launched Whatsapp number. Majority of the complaints were pertaining to the medical office of health (MOH) department and the horticulture department of the MC. Few complaints related to the public health department were also received.