How technological innovation helped bridging the gap between administration and citizen through Guhaar app. #Bastar #Guhaar #chhattisgarh

Guhaar in the time of pandemic

How technological innovation helped bridging the gap between administration and citizen through Guhaar app.

Necessity is not only mother of invention but all reinvention, too. Corona pandemic caused a massive change in all walk of life some of them is temporary, but some of the changes would be permanent. In terms of lifestyle and technological changes, the Covid-19 crisis-lockdown represents the greatest fundamental shift since World War 2. Indeed, the 2020s and beyond are already being dubbed the post-Covid era. Work from home, social distancing, contact tracing (surveillance), Virtual meeting, No touch are new normal. Out of many lexicons of corona, no touch is not just a pandemic technology It can work during other natural disasters like floods and earthquakes and holds good during normal time as well.

              Government work for the welfare of the people, in India typical district bureaucratic setup is very vast and there are numerous departments each doing a specific work. Grievance redress is an important part of administration, No administration can claim to be accountable, responsive and user-friendly unless it has established an efficient and effective grievance redress mechanism. In fact, the grievance redress mechanism of an organization is the gauge to measure its efficiency and effectiveness as it provides important feedback on the working of the administration.

Present Grievance redressal system :

         Bastar is an aspirational district which lacks in most of the socio economic indicators in compare with other part of the country. Collector jandarhsan is formally conducted on stipulated days weekly where common people can directly meet collector and submit their grievances , as jandarshan is fixed on a particular day of the week and time there is always a limitation of number of people who can come and meet collector sir,  also some times Jandarshan gets cancelled due to more important official work, meeting, protocol etc . As many people come from far flung areas taking a day off from their usual work,they have to bear cost of time, money and face other inconvenience also. To exterminate the need of being physically present and enable common men to lodge its grievances from the comfort of home and with assurance of complaint being monitored by collector himself idea of Guhaar App envisaged.  

 With the objective of dealing people’s grievances in an easy, effective, economic and transparent manner. District administration bastar came up with Guhaar app which is location intelligent app created for the Fast Track complaint reception and redressal to ensure quality governance. in this platform anyone can access with smart phone and submit their grievances, feedbacks and suggestions directly to district admin. Although there are websites like Janchaupal and PM portal already where user can lodge complaint electronically but after filing government system works mostly on papers. Concerned department get complaint in physical form and tracking it become a hectic job for the administration.

           In guhaar app With its seamless login solution operating interface and live statics user can manage and overview the status of his lodged or Resolved complaints conveniently and securely from anywhere using app user can view and edit his account information manage his complaint and live grievances track the smallest progress in the process and more all from his smartphone 24×7. Dependency on cloud, network and smartphones seen surge in hacking related incidents , In times when 7 yrs old child could develop Apps (as claimed in popular tv commercial) adult should focus on security and to deal with it Guhaar incorporated cutting edge blockchain technology  for data protection which increases its response time as well.

Guhaar app provided considerable relief to common people in the corona time specially during lockdown period. For instance Radha , Resident of jagdalpur who reside with her 3 friends complaint about his landlord asking house rent despite the fact that government already issued order not to pressurize tenants for rent.  Many people enquired about Epass which was mandatory to travel to other district during lockdown period. Parents bring to the notice of Administration about educational institute asking for tuition fee from April to June 2020 through Guhaar App. All the complaints have been resolved within stipulated time period by officer concerned. It was interesting to see some of the departments received more complaints than others. Electricity , Municipal Corporation , Revenue, Food , Education and Agriculture department were among the top to receive maximum complaint. As Officer’s  performances are being reviewed on the basis of Guhaar feedback all the officers are taking it seriously and their efficiency and effectiveness is increasing.  

Administration is working to provide guhaar app in local language like Halbi, Gondi and Bhatari in near future. Receiving complaint through SMS and IVR is also in the pipeline. Guhaar is a good example how through technological advancement and innovation administration can come close to people and serve them better.

 

Pankaj Singh