Employees’ association asks BDA to drop call centre plans

The BDA’s plans to lavish the taxpayers’ money on an expensive but not-too-useful call centre has been met with opposition from inside.

The Bangalore Development Authority Employees’ Association, a registered body, has written to the agency asking it to drop the Rs 2.09-crore project, saying it does not require an elaborate customer-facing facility like the BBMP, BWSSB or Bescom that provides critical services.

“The Bangalore Development Authority has been forming residential layouts for several decades,” the letter pointed out.

“Simply establishing a call centre will not be of help unless the complaints are attended to,” it stated.

Pointing out that the BDA has a public relations office and multiple telephone numbers, the association said the call centre will only be a financial burden on the agency. Association president R Manjunath has urged the BDA to fill vacant work positions to improve the administration.

DH carried a report Thursday regarding the BDA’s plan to set up a call centre by hiring 44 employees, fixing 6 am to 10 pm as working hours. The project received opposition since the BDA is aware of 99% of the complaints and it could not address them either due to lack of interest or resources.