Hyderabad: The MyGHMC Citizen mobile phone app, which was launched as an integrated platform for citizens to seek civic fixes from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), is itself in need of a fix, said vexed users, citing an array of issues and shortcomings.
The app allows residents to pay property taxes and trade licence fees, view the status of the layout regularisation scheme (LRS), apply for birth and death certificates, and submit civic grievances, such as open manholes, pothole problems, open garbage dumping and dysfunctional streetlights.
However, users said that there is no assurance of getting their complaints resolved through the app.
“Every time I try to use the app, it says ‘server not responding’. I wonder if the app misplaced this message instead of a ‘welcome’ notification,” said Sharat Chandra T., a resident.
Muhammed Azharuddin, a resident of Borabanda, said he complained about non-functional streetlights in his area in December 2022 (ID 2512222506241), but to no avail. “It's been more than three months since I lodged a complaint on the app. The assistant engineer's phone number given on it constantly goes unanswered, whenever I try to call it,” he said.
Srujan, a resident who tried to pay the property tax through the app to avail of a five per cent rebate in 2021, said that the transaction failed, resulting in him having to pay a fine of Rs 2,500. “An almost two-year delay in confirming the transaction status is unacceptable. They should at least bring in UPI mode of payment,” he said.
Imtiaz M.L., an NRI who tried to pay his property tax through the app said that he was unable to do so due to its poor functionality and urged authorities to get the basic app structure right. “Both the MyGHMC app and the website of GHMC are difficult to navigate and are not user-friendly,” he said.
Eshan E., a resident who complained about stray dogs through the app on March 17 (ID 1703232977703), said his complaint fell on deaf ears despite recent instances of fatal attacks on children. “We pleaded with them to take immediate action as there are several children kids in our colony who face a huge risk amid hot summer, as dogs are aggravated,” he said.
Another user, Ganesh Jakkula, claimed that grievances made on the app are automatically closed without resolution. “The ticket (ID 1403232959682) is closed at their end, but claiming outrightly that it’s me who closed the ticket,” he said. He had complained about garbage vans not coming to pick up trash on March 14.
Another user said that his complaint (ID 1703232977040) about drainage overflow on March 17 got no response. He hoped that the municipal body took action on the complaints first, before making big promises.
GHMC officials refuted the allegations, saying that the IT wing was actively working on all glitches and maintains a regular review of its functionality. “Some of these glitches take not more than 15 minutes to be fixed,” the official said.
