Margao: Got a clogged drain? A footpath encroachment? Garbage piling up on your street corner? One WhatsApp message to Margao Municipal Council’s public grievances helpline is all it takes — or so MMC would like residents to believe.The helpline — WhatsApp number 9112228200 — along with the official email co.mmcmargao@gmail.com and website mmcmargao.goa.gov.in, handles all types of complaints, ranging from waste management and street-cleaning, to encroachments on public spaces and other civic issues.MMC sources clarified that while the helpline was publicised only recently, the public grievances number has been functional for a long time. “The public notice about the helpline was issued only to comply with Supreme Court guidelines,” a senior MMC official said.The public notice, which was issued on Feb 13, complied with a directive of the Supreme Court, which directed that an online grievance redressal mechanism be created to address complaints of encroachments on footpaths, maintenance of footpaths, and suggestions for pedestrian crossings.MMC said all complaints received on the helpline are promptly attended to and satisfactorily resolved. “We ensure that the complainant is kept posted about the status of his complaint,” the official said.To ensure swift redressal of waste management complaints in particular, MMC created an internal WhatsApp group of staff dedicated to attending to such complaints, ensuring coordinated and timely action on the ground.While welcoming the initiative, Margao resident Sanjay Dessai called for a more proactive approach from the civic body. “While it’s good that MMC has set up a public grievances helpline, it’s important that engineers and councillors get proactive and ensure that all issues are resolved without anybody having to complain. It’s a small town,” Dessai said.
