MCC to develop app to redress citizens’ civic woes

Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) is planning to develop an application to redress civic-related grievances of citizens, MCC Commissioner Akshy Shridhar said on Monday.

He was addressing entrepreneurs during an interaction organised by Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industries at KCCI hall in Bunder.

The commissioner drew the attention of the audience towards the app when Nandagopal Shenoy pointed out the lack of a helpline to redress grievances like breakage of drinking water pipeline, non-functioning street lights and similar issues which need immediate attention of the officials concerned.

Shenoy said there were different helplines for addressing different problems and people are confused about whom to contact when they need some help.

The MCC should have a vehicle to attend to emergency situations, he added.

Akshy Shridhar said urban development in Mangaluru was a complex issue due to the city’s vertical growth.

It is a challenge to develop systems that stand the test of time. But, a lot of impact was seen after the launch of Smart City works, he added.

“The idea of smooth governance is to ease the process for people. In this regard, MCC is working towards a paperless office and is going digital. The issue of digitisation of trade license renewal and online self-assessment tax payment facing teething problems will be solved soon. In future, technology will be developed in a manner where people will be able to access files in MCC and follow up the progress of works,” he said.

The drinking water woes will be addressed with the construction of an additional overhead tank in Nehru maidan. UGD system will be upgraded under the Smart City programme, he added.

Entrepreneur Anil Rao said that the collection of dry waste was irregular in the Bykampadi Industrial area.

Yet, garbage cess for commercial establishments was a steep Rs 1,000 per month. The dry waste should be collected thrice a week, he said.

Manish from Falnir said that the condition of footpaths at many places in the city was pathetic. In many places, the pedestrian paths had been encroached upon.

KCCI member Ahmed Bava said the UGD system laid in 1966 was not upgraded so far.

A memorandum on solving issues including trade license, property tax and related matters was submitted to the commissioner.

KCCI president Shashidhar Pai Maroor, vice president M Ganesh Kamath, honourary secretaries Nissar Fakeer Mohammed and Ananthesh V Prabhu were present.