Common helpline number for civic bodies

Are you tired of finding the right number to address your complaint to the governing bodies? You need not worry anymore.

Soon, there will be a common four-digit helpline number for people to register their complaints  on all civic issues in the city. This common helpline number will assimilate bodies such as Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), BESCOM, BWSSB, BMTC and BMRCL wherein people can dial the common number to register and get their complaints addressed.

"By bringing in the common helpline number  for all these governing agencies, we can eliminate the confusion among people regarding which number to dial for which body. The issues will be redirected to the respective departments and they will be addressed," said Mahendra Jain, Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department.

Trained staffers will be deployed to answer the calls made on the proposed helpline numbers who will direct the calls to the respective agency and a docket number will be issued to these complaints. These staffers will be trained  similarly to customer care executives in call centres.

He also said that they are in talks with Bharatiya Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and all departments and will hold a meeting regarding the same next week after the Winter session in Belagavi.  

BESCOM already has a helpline number 1912 and when asked if this number would be eliminated, he said, "We will ensure that the calls received on this existing helpline number will be redirected until people get a hang of the common helpline number. After it becomes popular with the public, then it will be eliminated eventually."

However, it is also said that the introduction of the new helpline number will not help in addressing the complaints faster.