Was launched by BBMP as a one-stop platform to register complaints

Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun said that a well-equipped central control room was being launched in the BBMP head office in the next few months and once the control room is operational, the Sahaya app would be rebooted and all complaints meticulously reviewed.

The Sahaya mobile app, launched by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) a few years ago, promised citizens a one-stop platform to register complaints, which would be addressed by civic officials. However, the app has failed to live up to its name or its promise, say several citizens. Poor interface and complaints being closed before they are solved are some of the problems.

“It’s a waste of time registering complaints on the app,” said Vijay Kumar, a resident of Nellurahalli. “After complaints are registered, an official is assigned and a contact number provided. However, more often than not, there will be no response. After a week or so, the complaint gets closed as resolved. All this while, no official would have visited the problem spot or resolved the issue,” he added.

S. Lakshmi who lives in Panathur, said that the app makes it difficult for a complaint to be escalated. “We have raised this issue with BBMP officials, only to be told to raise another complaint on Sahaya. What is the use of lodging complaints on the app if they are going to get closed without being resolved?”

The inefficacy of the app was among the issues raised by residents of Mahadevapura at the Janaspandana programme chaired by Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara on Saturday.

The general unhappiness with the app is reflected on iOS and Android platforms as poor user reviews. On the Apple app store, for instance, it has a 2.1-star rating, while on GooglePlay, it averages 2.7 stars. One users, in his review, stated that officials close complaints such as overflowing drain, broken slab of drain, without fixing them.

BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad maintained that there is no problem with the Sahaya app. He said in six months, the app has received 50,628 complaints pertaining to various departments in the BBMP.

Of these, the BBMP has been able to close (after attending to the problems) 35,376, while the remaining 15,252 are either assigned, in progress or have been escalated. A total of 573 complaints need long-term solutions that require action plans or funds. “We will not be able to immediately solve all problems raised on the app. However, we note them down and ensure that they are addressed soon.”

However, Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun conceded that there are issues with the Sahaya app. “Citizens have brought the issue to my attention. We are setting up a hi-tech central control room in the BBMP headquarters, which will be opened in three months. Once the control room has been set up, we will reboot the app, and each complaint will be centrally monitored,” she added.