COIMBATORE: Officials of the city corporation's grievance redressal department claimed that the local body staff and workers have addressed as many as 6,078 grievances received from the public so far this year. Clearing garbage, delay in issuing birth certificates, and repairing faulty street lights, are the frequent complaints received from the residents.
According to sources, the grievance redress wing has divided public grievances under 17 categories like, engineering wing, public health, town planning, JNNURM, zoo, etc., under which the public health department received large number of complaints, than the other departments.
The public health department had received as many as 2,900 SMS complaints starting from January 1 to June 2 this year under which the public made frequent SMS to the civic body's grievance number (92822-02422) stating that garbage and drainage block were not cleared.
"We have cleared 6,078 SMSes grievances of which 5,915 SMSes were received this year, and as of now, we have only 551 pending SMS grievances that will be cleared at the earliest," said Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner, K Vijayakarthikeyan.
Interestingly, there has also been SMS complaints of bribes demanded by corporation staff and staff of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd (TANGEDCO).
"The public has been sending SMS to take appropriate action against the corporation contractors for asking money for laying drinking water pipelines (plumbing works). People are also sending complaints on bribes demanded by TANGEDCO staff for power connection. While bribe charges against corporation contractors are under scrutiny, we are sending reply SMS to consumers stating that TANGEDCO is another department, and does not come under the corporation," said a source from the corporation.
The people have also sent 16 SMS about stray dogs, pigs and stray horses in their wards, and wanted immediate action. "We have forwarded the complaints to members of the Humane Animal Society and People for Animals Unit II for taking remedial measures," said a source.
Rectifying faulty street lights, laying bitumen roads, seeking proper drinking water supply, removing encroachments and seeking bus shelters, are the other major complaints.
Besides, the grievance redressal wing also takes efforts to address petitions coming from the Chief Minister's Cell, District Collector's office, Mayor's grievance day, newspaper cuttings and e-mails.
