Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 29

Soon, you will be able to post pictures of violations on the Municipal Corporation’s WhatsApp number and in return get rewarded too.

The civic body has decided to start a WhatsApp complaint number where residents will not only be able to post pictures of their grievances, but also of violations. MC Commissioner KK Yadav today asked officials to make arrangements and come up with a contact number and plan for the purpose.

Images of violations, including littering, dumping plastic waste, water wastage, sewerage issue, kundi connection from street lights and temporary encroachments, can be posted on the number.

Residents will be asked to post real-time picture, in which the date, time and place is mentioned, so that genuine pictures are posted on the WhatsApp number. If any violation is found at that place, officials will issue a challan and reward the person who has posted it. However, the reward amount is yet to be finalised.

With regard to grievances, a time frame will be fixed to resolve the problem. If the issue is not fixed by the official concerned in the given period, an explanation will be sought from him. “Everything will be online. If some issue is not being resolved or there is some inherent reason behind it, then the official himself has to state the reason,” shared an official.

MC officials said the number will later be merged with the service app to be started under the Smart City Mission. The app will have all 14 services, including water, birth/death certificate and property tax, being offered by the MC. All other departments falling under the UT Administration will also be there. Residents will be able to complain from this common app to all departments in the city.

The traffic police already run such a WhatApp number and Facebook page in the city, from where challans are issued on the basis of violation pictures posted on these by the general public.

How it will work

• The MC has decided to start a WhatsApp number where residents will not only be able to post pictures of their grievances, but also of violations in civic matters.
• If any violation is found at that place, officials will issue a challan and reward the person who has posted it. However, the reward amount is yet to be finalised.