As a citizen of Belagavi, reporting a civic problem and getting it resolved can be a painful and arduous activity.
What do we normally do if we encounter a garbage dump, or unclean road, or overflowing dustbins, Street lights not working, water leakages, etc. We just close our nose, ignore the situation, and walk away, as nothing can be done as an individual.
All reading this would agree at least 60% of the street lights in the city don’t work, take the best example of the Shri Basveshwar RoB (Gogte RoB) it is in the dark after a month it was inaugurated.
Take any main roads to leave the street lights don’t work. But where to complain?
Do you know who is the authority in charge of it?
The Administration also hasn’t taken measures to make solving Grievances a priority as they would have to work to resolve the issue.
There are sites and apps but we haven’t seen any resolution or the problem been solved.
The smart city app has a complaint section, we did complain no one bothered to read it and update on the resolution.
The Janahitha provides a platform to the citizens to raise grievances related to Urban Local Bodies, here also we have seen lately that the complaint is closed as resolved but nothing changes on the ground.
Then there are those BORDER issues you can call them, sir this area is not under Corporation it is under BUDA or under Cantonment board, This area is under corporation but this work pertains to Smart city complain to them. Water leakage is there but as the new road is made we need to get permission from Smart city and it is taking the time.
If a person wishes to solve a civic issue he will have to go from office to office and end of the day nothing positive would happen.
We have that Integrated command and control center, God only knows what happens there.
Belagavi needs a centralized Grievance handling system One single website where all complaints are lodged and followed up is the key.
We need a vision on this as it is more important to citizens than anything else.
Belagavi is a city where for complaints and public grievances readdressal there is no forum not on social media as well. Who will want to visit an office and complain in this digital age but Belagavi Administration has done exactly that so that they have to solve any grievances.
Calling Belagavi a smart city on paper is of no use, systems put in place must be smart, and the people behind the systems as well.
