The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has introduced a centralised digital platform, ‘Marg Pranali’, aimed at improving how civic complaints are registered, tracked and resolved across the city.
According to the BMC, the system – developed by its Information Technology Department – was inaugurated at the civic headquarters on Wednesday by Mayor Ritu Tawde. The initiative is intended to bring together multiple complaint mechanisms into a single interface to reduce delays and improve coordination between departments.
Senior elected representatives, including Leader of the House Ganesh Khankar and Leader of Opposition Kishori Pednekar, were present at the launch, along with heads of several civic committees. From the administration, Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide and other senior officials attended the event, the BMC said.
Multiple Complaint Channels to Be Integrated
At present, the civic body handles complaints through a range of channels, including its official website, helpline number 1916, the ‘My BMC’ mobile application, WhatsApp chatbot, the pothole reporting system, written submissions and social media platforms.
The BMC said the new platform is designed to consolidate these channels into one system, allowing complaints to be processed more efficiently. In a subsequent phase, the system is expected to integrate additional grievance portals operated by state and central authorities.
Real-Time Tracking and Automated Updates
Officials said the Marg Pranali will provide citizens with automated notifications at each stage of the complaint process. This includes updates from registration and classification to assignment to the relevant department, progress tracking and final resolution.
The civic body noted that this feature is expected to improve transparency and reduce uncertainty for residents who often face delays in getting updates on their complaints.
In addition, real-time dashboards will enable senior officials to monitor the number of pending complaints across departments and track whether they are being resolved within prescribed timelines. The system will also allow prioritisation based on the urgency and nature of issues.
Use of GIS and Feedback to Improve Services
According to the BMC, the platform incorporates Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to map the exact location of complaints, which is expected to improve field verification and response accuracy.
A feedback mechanism has also been built into the system, allowing citizens to rate the resolution of their complaints. Officials said this input will be used to assess service quality and identify gaps in delivery.
The BMC stated that by bringing all complaints under a single digital framework, the Marg Pranali is expected to reduce response times, strengthen inter-departmental coordination and provide better oversight of grievance redressal.
