PWD mobile app “Hamari Sadak” has proven a failure: RTI activist

A lineman engaged at power restoration work at Latti in Dudu Sub Division on Sunday. -Excelsior/K Kumar
A lineman engaged at power restoration work at Latti in Dudu Sub Division on Sunday. -Excelsior/K Kumar

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 23: An RTI has revealed that the much talked about mobile app “Hamari Sadak”, of the Public Works (Roads &Buildings) Department , developed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) Govt Of India undertaking and inaugurated by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on April 6, 2021, has failed to achieve the desired results.
Contrary to the Government claims during its launching that the App would allow residents to register and track their grievances and enable effective supervision of development projects through data updated by field staff, filing a complaint through the App is very complicated.
A reply to the RTI by Balvinder Singh reveals that JKUT with the area of 42,241 Sq KM and population of more than 1.3 crores, only 88 complaints were filed through this App in 150 days since its launch, i.e. less than 0.54 a day, which itself speaks the failure of the APP.
As per RTI reply, only six complaints were filled in District Jammu, 6 in Doda, 7 in Kathua, 5 in Poonch, 9 in Rajouri, 4 in Udhampur, one each in Kishtwar & Ramban Districts of Jammu Division while highest 21 complaints were filed in Srinagar, 3 in Anantnag, 12 in Budgam, 6 in Baramullah, two each in Kupwara, Pulwama & Shopian and only one complaint in District Ganderbal during the five months.
Mr Singh said that he tried to file a complaint on `Hamari Sadak’ App with regard to the roads of Guru Nanak Nagar but failed because of the complicacies involved in filing it. “I took up the matter with PWD, on whose direction, I was contacted by some official seeking to know about the problem in filing the complaint and I let them know but their response was not satisfactorily and now my stand is vindicated from the RTI reply that it is very complicated job to find out the name of Road/bridge out of the names of the roads mentioned in blocks of different Districts of JKUT,” he added.
The RTI activist urged upon the Lt Governor to direct the concerned officials and Chief Engineers of JKUT to formulate a programme of putting up sign boards displaying the information at every road and also appoint Nodal officer in every District headquarter to receive complaints on regular basis.