The Chennai Corporation on Monday suspended four of its officials for their alleged failure to pass on information pertaining to the civic complaints made through its toll free helpline 1913.
The civic body's records show that after October 25 last year, a total of 7,660 complaints were registered by residents through the toll free number. But according to the officials, the number of such complaints received at the 15 zones and departments was only 2,490. This discrepancy is said to have been because of the failure of the four-member team in charge of 1913 and the contract workers associated with the helpline.
Senior officials began looking into the case after many residents who had repeatedly called 1913 in the past few months complained about the lack of response by civic body officials.
It was subsequently found that the information on civic problems was not being conveyed to the zonal officials or departments despite claims to the contrary. Records available at the Ripon Buildings complaint cell show that the information was conveyed to the civic officials for appropriate action. However, zonal-level officials deny that they received such information on civic problems in the specified time.
Officials associated with 1913 said that the lack of adequate manpower in the complaint cell and the problems associated with merger of Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Ambattur, Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Perungudi and Sholinganallur could be some of the reasons for the weak mechanism to redress grievance.
The civic problems that have been registered so far through 1913 include unsanitary condition of roads, improper sweeping, mosquito menace, encroachment on public property, illegal sewer connection in storm water drain, parking issues, violations of development control rules and pot holes on roads.
