A year after the launch of a pilot project under the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC), ex-servicemen deployed to monitor civic infrastructure have helped report over 9,700 public grievances, with official data showing that more than 9,455 of the complaints have been resolved.
According to official figures, 9,759 complaints were received through the m-Seva mobile application over the past year. The highest number of complaints pertained to garbage vulnerable points, dirty roads, drains and other sanitation-related issues.
Under the pilot initiative, implemented through the Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation (PESCO), retired defence personnel have been engaged to conduct field inspections and report on-ground civic issues across four districts Jalandhar, Nawanshahr, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur.
Former Navy Captain Charanbir Singh has been appointed as Deputy General Manager (DGM) of the Local Government Body and is overseeing the project. Working under his supervision are 28 retired Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), who have been deployed as field supervisors across the four districts. Jalandhar alone has four such supervisors.
The field supervisors identify and report civic issues, including sanitation lapses, sewerage problems, garbage accumulation, the condition of public toilets and general hygiene. They use the m-Seva mobile application, developed by the PMIDC, to capture photographs of civic issues and upload them directly from the field.
“Once the image is uploaded, the official concerned is notified and must address the issue within a stipulated time,” Captain Charanbir Singh told The Tribune.
