COIMBATORE: After the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) recently launched an AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot offering citizens access to 32 civic services at their fingertips, councillors and civic activists have urged the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to adopt a similar system to improve service delivery.
The Chennai initiative, launched by Mayor R Priya a few days ago, enables residents to download birth and death certificates, pay taxes, register grievances, book community halls, and even access details of solid waste management and trade licences, all by sending a simple WhatsApp message. The service, available in multiple languages, has been praised for cutting red tape and saving time for citizens.
Speaking about the demand in Coimbatore, R Alima Begum, an independent councillor of Ward 84 said, "Following the Chennai Corporation's model, the CCMC must also take necessary steps to launch a similar service for the public here. Downloading/receiving birth and death certificates through Whatsapp will be a huge success here. The CCMC must explore its feasibility and implement the same for Coimbatore people."
Social activist S Vivin Saravan echoed the sentiment, stressing that such technology is not a luxury but a necessity. "Digital tools make governance accessible for everyone, including people from underserved areas who cannot always take time off work to visit Corporation offices. Coimbatore should not lag behind other cities in embracing this change. Here in Coimbatore, even basic tasks often require long queues and paperwork. A similar platform would bring much-needed transparency and efficiency for our residents," he said.
However, activists also cautioned that strong data protection measures must be built into any system to ensure the privacy of citizens' information. Concerns about certificate downloads through OTP-based access in Chennai have highlighted the need for robust safeguards. If rolled out, residents of Coimbatore could soon access essential civic services by simply sending a WhatsApp message, marking a major leap toward smart governance in the region.
Despite TNIE's efforts, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran was unavailable for a comment on the matter.