System seems to have failed in its tracking method, for which it was originally created
A stormwater drain constructed across the 1st Avenue and 1st Main Road Junction near Sastri Nagar in Adyar, without slopes on either side
for vehicles to pass over
Chennai: The Chennai corporation’s public grievance redressal (PGR) system that allows people to register and track complaints online does not seem to work efficiently. People say that the system which was a hit in its early days, seems to have failed in its tracking method, for which it was originally created. The issue came to light when Dr D.T. Babu of Adyar filed five complaints online one night and received a message saying that the complaints had been addressed very next morning. In fact, none of the complaints had been redressed.
Of the five complaints —four were about encroachments by private parties who had extended their shops or residential areas for commercial purposes, leaving no space for pedestrians to walk, and reducing the width of the road at Sastri Nagar in Adyar. The other complaint related to the storm water drain that had been laid across the road with no slope on either side of the structure. Dr D.T. Babu demanded a proper slope to be constructed on either side of the drain for vehicles to pass over it easily. He says, “These five complaints (complaint no: 990HHC, 617NFR, 904RQE, 941FBE and 318GGA) were filed between 8.26 pm and 9.10 pm on March 24. The reply message stating, ‘the complaints were attended’ was received through SMS the next morning between 10.30 am and 10.45 am.
“I wonder whether the officials concerned were back in their seats the next morning and checked the mails,” he adds. When the status of the message is checked online, it reads ‘Inspected the site and action will be taken in three days.’ But there is no progress till date, he says.The PGR system functioned well in the earlier days in 2009. “Once a complaint was posted, there would be a return mail after some time that the message had been forwarded to the concerned official and the issue would be addressed soon.
But we don’t receive such status messages these days,” notes Babu, who is co-founder of SPARK, a civic-based NGO in Besant Nagar. Earlier, when an online complaint was posted, higher officials themselves would call us back and promise to do the needful, but they don’t seem to care much nowadays, he continues. Secretary of Kasturba Nagar Residents Association, V.C. Kannan, says, “People opt for online complaints for the convenience of sending a picture or video of the existing problem and also to avoid waiting time until the call gets connected in the telephonic complaint system.”
But telephone complaint via 1913 works better than the online redressal system, as call centre staff directly listen to people and understand their problems. Online, we receive only the complaint number and automated message, which never understands the real issue, he continues. When an official in Ripon Buildings was contacted, he said, “Online complaints are verified regularly as there is a separate section to monitor these complaints.
Once a complaint is received, it is forwarded to the concerned zonal office for follow up and the particular office should address the issue and send a reply to the head office within a week.” If a reply is not received, the mail is automatically forwarded to higher officials in the main building, who check with the concerned official for the delay. Such meetings are held in the head office regularly, he adds.
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