The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has strengthened its Smart Sarathi grievance resolution system by introducing a facility for citizens to reopen complaints if they feel their grievances were closed without resolution, the civic body announced on Thursday. It said it has also brought in a comprehensive feedback mechanism.
“Any complaint found closed without resolution will be forcefully reopened through the system by the administration until the grievance is addressed properly. Furthermore, the complainants will receive a feedback call to ensure they are satisfied with the redressal,” Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh said, expressing concerns over the practice of closing complaints without resolution.
Smart Sarathi, launched as part of PCMC’s e-governance initiatives, serves as a centralised platform for lodging grievances, tracking resolutions, and improving citizen engagement.
Between November 1 and December 9, PCMC resolved 8,076 complaints through Smart Sarathi. Feedback was collected for 5,349 of these complaints. The results showed that 63 per cent of the complainants were satisfied with the resolution, while 8 per cent expressed dissatisfaction. Among those dissatisfied, 2 per cent reported that their complaints were closed without any action taken. According to officials, 29 per cent of the complainants did not respond to the feedback request.
Singh also emphasised the importance of departmental accountability, stating, “The feedback mechanism under Smart Sarathi is a crucial step towards making governance more transparent and responsive. Heads of departments must ensure timely and effective resolution of complaints. Strict action, including suspension and initiation of departmental inquiries, will be taken against those responsible for such lapses. Accountability is non-negotiable, and citizens’ concerns must be prioritised.”
Reopened complaints are automatically escalated to senior officials to ensure proper action, as per the PCMC.
Pattern-based action through grievance analysis
The PCMC has also initiated broader pattern analysis of complaints to identify root causes and systemic issues in specific areas. By analysing why certain areas receive more complaints, the corporation aims to implement proactive, large-scale solutions rather than addressing issues on a case-by-case basis. Officials said this data-driven approach will help address recurring problems and improve overall service delivery.
The administration said non-performance will attract strict action, including suspension and departmental inquiries against erring officials.
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