ANANTNAG: PUKAAR helpline, a simple effective good governance initiative, is a 24×7 emergency response and grievance redressal service for District Anantnag. The helpline has been instrumental in minimizing response time for emergency assistance and ensuring prompt grievance redressal.
Started in April, 2021, the control room is manned by 10 employees and is headed by Tehsildar Consolidation at the District headquarter.
The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anantnag, Dr Piyush Singla, talking about PUKAAR helpline said that the initiative is a simple step aimed at accountable and transparent governance. He said that the PUKAAR helpline is a one stop solution for citizens where they can register their grievances, know the status of power supply or water supply in their area, contact for assistance in emergency situations. The idea is to assure the citizens that their voices are being heard and acted upon as well as bringing in more accountability and transparency into the system.
Ms Nusrat, the nodal officer for PUKAAR helpline said that they receive more than 50 calls on a daily basis related to delivery of services and sometimes related to emergency assistance. She said that once a call has been received by the operator at the control room, it is then forwarded to the concerned department. Based on the nature of grievance, the response time may vary from a few minutes to one or two days. After a grievance has been resolved, the complainant is called and informed regarding the redressal of their grievance.
Recalling various emergency assistance calls addressed during the recent snowfall, Ms Nusrat said that they received more than 100 calls in a span of 48 hours and all of them were redressed in record time. One of the calls was related to a pregnant lady who was stuck in a snow bound area. Immediately the control room forwarded the matter to MED and Revenue officials and the lady was evacuated in less than an hour. Similarly, the first call regarding the fire incident at Nai Basti Anantnag was lodged on the PUKAAR helpline at 1am in the morning and immediately issue was flagged to Fire and Emergency Department for further action.
Other such incidents involved rescue of some passengers stranded in Vailoo due to incessant snowfall, calls related to essential supplies in far flung areas which were promptly redressed.
The helpline was instrumental in the fight against COVID 19. Random calls were made to COVID patients to check their vital parameters. Further, calls verifying administration of COVID vaccine doses are being made on a regular basis.
The helpline also saw heavy inflow of calls after the incessant snow and rain in October that caused heavy damage to orchards in the district.
Many people registered their cases on the helpline and the losses were then promptly assessed and damage compensation rewarded.
A few persons who had recently lodged grievances on the PUKAAR helpline were contacted while filing this report and they lauded the initiative for being simple and meaningful. They said there issues were flagged in a time bound manner and they were satisfied with solutions provided.
The PUKAAR helpline can be reached on 01932222255/ 01932222188/ 01932222187.