Smart Madurai App sees strong uptake, call for clearer status tracking

Madurai: Three months after its launch in December, the Smart Madurai grievance app has received a positive response from residents, who say it has made lodging civic complaints easier and faster.The Smart Madurai app enables residents to report and track civic issues directly from their mobile phones. When a complaint is filed, the app captures the latitude and longitude through the phone's location services to identify the zone and ward. Users can upload a photograph of the issue and select the relevant category from a drop-down menu. No verified account or identity proof is required to submit a complaint. A corporation official said grievances are routed through the Integrated Command and Control Centre and forwarded to the concerned assistant engineer. "If no action is taken within three days, the complaint is escalated up the chain of command until it reaches the corporation commissioner," the official said. He added that once a complaint is registered and verified, it will be resolved within a month. Residents said the app has simplified the process. "Instead of transferring photos to a computer and uploading them on the corporation website, the app makes it more convenient," said Palanisamy, a resident of KK Nagar. Another resident noted that the app allows users to flag issues even while travelling, as the location feature automatically detects the ward. However, some users flagged concerns over transparency. Balasubramaniam, secretary of the LIG Colony Residents' Welfare Association, said earlier systems provided status updates and contact details of officials for follow-up. "With the app, even if a complaint is resolved after a few weeks, we do not receive any notification about the progress," he said. A senior corporation official said the new system ensures a tighter chain of command in grievance redressal. "We will work with the developer team to improve transparency for the public," he said, adding that updates are being made regularly to enhance the app. Ajay, one of the developers, said an iOS version is under development. "There are some legal and technical hurdles with Apple, but we expect to release the iOS version soon," he said. MSID:: 129338694 413 |