A message about a 24/7 official system to submit complaints and suggestions to the Chief Minister has been widely circulating on WhatsApp across the state since the election buzz began at the start of this month.
The automated message from ‘CM With Me — Citizen Connect Programme’ guarantees “a response within 48 hours” and encourages people to share their concerns by replying ‘Yes’. Many did so, with some submitting their issues through the platform.
However, users say they have not received any reply even after a week. Not even an automated acknowledgement.
This has raised questions about the system, with some commenting that it’s yet another PR gimmick.
“I received the automated message on WhatsApp. I sent a complaint regarding a stinking canal in our area, along with photos,” fumed veteran journalist George Abraham.
“It has been several days now, and I haven’t received any response.”
George added that he received the same message again later.
“I chose to ignore it. It feels like somebody is making a fool out of us when such promises are made but not followed through.”
Similar concerns are being raised online as well. On the Reddit platform, several users have shared their experiences of not receiving any response despite the 48-hour assurance.
“I sent a message regarding my scholarship and haven’t received a reply. It’s been four days. They assured a response within two days, but there has been no answer so far,” wrote a user.
“I had lost faith in the LDF government earlier, but I really thought they were trying to do better with this initiative. However, this too feels like a failure, and it comes across as a last-minute attempt to show concern.”
When asked about the goof-up, a government official pointed out that the initiative traced back to last year, when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the Citizen Connect Centre at Vellayambalam in Thiruvananthapuram.
The centre was set up with the promise of facilitating citizen feedback, grievance redressal, and public communication. As part of the system, the public could share opinions, suggestions, and complaints through the toll-free number 1800-425-6789.
The WhatsApp outreach linked to the initiative, however, began reaching a wider section of the public only in recent days.
Officials at the centre in Vellayambalam refused to answer queries from this reporter. A visit to the AKG Centre also failed to elicit a response.
On reaching out to the Chief Minister’s Office by phone, an official declined to comment and promised to get back soon. However, no reply was received at the time of going to print.