Civic body ‘bytes’ into cyberdom, ramps up service delivery with multiple apps

With smartphones becoming ‘alpha’ gadget, the Greater Chennai Corporation also has become tech-savvy. It has various mobile phone applications that are used to reach out to the public to rectify civic issues and to provide services.

One of the important mobile phone applications released by the civic body is Namma Chennai. The application, which was initially launched under Smart City Mission to address the complaints received from the residents, has been updated to avail of birth and death certificates and to pay property tax.

“More than 50,000 users have downloaded the application and we had received more than 30,000 complaints through the application. Residents can click photographs of the civic issues and upload them to the application. The complaints will go straight to the concerned local officials, who in turn rectify and revert to the residents with an action taken report,” a Chennai Corporation official said.

Apart from paying property and professional taxes, and applying for trade licenses, the Namma Chennai Application also provides information on day-to-day activities and press releases of the civic body. The application functions on both Android and IOS platforms.

“We have provided facilities to pay taxes using Namma Chennai app through the net banking, debit cards, credit cards, RTGS/NEFT and UPI (Unified Payments Interface). Residents can also download receipts of tax payments through the application,” the official added.

It is learnt that the Chennai Corporation has taken steps to include contact numbers of local officials and engineers in the application so that residents can raise concerns with the engineers. Sanitary inspectors of the civic body have already been directed to mark the geographic locations of the shops from which they seize banned plastic items.

Even though the app makes approaching the civic body easier, the application is being misused by some officials. In a recent incident, a resident of Nerkundram received threat calls from local contractors for raising a complaint.

The other two prominent public utility mobile applications of the civic body are Smart Bike application and GCC Smart Parking application. While Namma Chennai app was developed and maintained by the civic body, Smart Bike was created by a Chennai Corporation contractor who runs city’s first cycle-sharing system.

Similarly, GCC Smart Parking application was created and launched by contractors, who are about to implement an on-road parking management system in Chennai.

“Both the applications function using GPS technology. Smart Bike application is being used to hire bicycles under the cycle-sharing system and to pay rent. Apart from allowing to pay parking charges, GCC Smart Parking will find vacant parking lots on roads and streets. GCC Smart Parking has been launched but the parking management system awaits government nod,” the official explained.

Moving ahead to utilise technology, the civic body has planned to use Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to integrate and coordinate its various projects and resources.

Apart from establishing a link with the residents using mobile applications and computer software, the Chennai Corporation also has taken measures to reach out the public through social media platforms.

Unlike, other government departments, which are managing social media presence only on a couple of popular platforms to disseminate information and receive complaints, a Chennai Corporation official said that the civic body plans to have a presence in every social media platform. After the implementation, citizens could know day-to-day activities and meetings of the civic body.

“Digital marketing for the civic body would be done by a private contractor, who would manage our social media handles. A separate section for social media digital marketing would be set up at Ripon Building premises, which would function round the clock,” an official said.

Once the civic body successfully implements the digital marketing project, citizens would be enabled to raise complaints pertaining to civic issues through social media.

“As the social media section will function 24X7, complaints received from the residents will be forwarded to concerned officials immediately for redressal. We will also flash advertisements of our schemes and projects on social media platforms,” the official explained.

While Namma Chennai application and others are launched for the public, the civic body has created a mobile phone application for the use of officials. The application that functions using GIS technology would have details and geographic locations of water bodies, Chennai Corporation officers, avenue trees and even toilets. “The application is being used by higher officials to monitor the water bodies and others apart from monitoring flood mitigation work,” another official said.

However, the civic body has plans to launch the application for public use so that they could also monitor the status of the city’s infrastructure and report to higher officials. “The applications would also be used as a map to find civic offices and other public facilities,” the official added.