AMC complaint system creates trouble: Citizens asked their ward before filing of complaints

Amdavad Municipal Corporation’s complaint system is once again facing criticism from citizens. People calling the civic helpline number 155303 to complain about basic services like roads, drainage, sewerage, and water supply are now being asked to mention their ward number before their complaint can be registered.

Many citizens say this has become a new way of troubling common people instead of helping them. Most residents do not know which ward their area falls under, but officials reportedly refuse to register complaints unless the caller provides ward details.

The issue has raised questions about the functioning of the smart city administration and its public grievance system.

‘Know your ward’

Earlier, the civic body  had introduced a ‘Know Your Ward’ feature on its website. The system allowed citizens to check ward boundaries and identify which ward their area belonged to. Residents claim that this facility disappeared after the 2021 general elections. At present, citizens are unable to find  their ward details online.

Because of this, many callers are left confused and helpless while trying to register complaints. Citizens say it is unfair to expect every person to know ward boundaries of the city before asking for basic civic services.

CCRS and E-Governance Department

Since 2014-15, complaints related to civic facilities have been registered through the Comprehensive Complaint Redressal System (CCRS) of the Municipal Corporation.

Over the past few years, several Municipal Commissioners, including, IAS Vijay Nehra, IAS M Thennarasan, and current Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani, have reportedly criticised the complaint system for poor handling of public grievances. Concerns were raised earlier about complaints being closed without proper resolution.

Despite repeated discussions about improving the system, citizens now allege that the process has become even more difficult.