UT launches ‘smart city’ app

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 27

Taking a step towards making the City Beautiful a smart city, the Chandigarh Administration has come up with a single e-window application that offers updated and latest information pertaining to all UT departments and consumer-related queries.

Launching the "Smart Chandigarh" Android-based mobile application, UT Adviser Vijay Kumar Dev said it was the first and official mobile application of the UT that would act as an interface between residents and officials. “Soon, we plan to make a two-way communication channel in terms of performance of officials and redressal of grievances of residents,” said Dev, adding that it would be linked to websites of all UT departments.

Danish Ashraf, Joint Director, Food and Supplies, who has been instrumental in the launch of the application, said the app was now available free on the Google Play Store (for Android mobile users). Soon, it would be launched for the iOS (Apple) App Store and Windows phones. He said apart from giving the daily rates of vegetables and fruits at the Sector 26 vegetable and fruit market, the application would provide details about the timings of CTU buses and their routes, places of tourist interest, important telephone numbers, information on weather and bus and train timings.

On being quizzed about making the app interactive, the Adviser said instead of the one-way system of filing a grievance, the department converned would be made accountable for getting back to the complainants. He instructed officials to ensure that the timings of buses were updated daily so that commuters coming from outside the city could know the exact schedule of the buses.

The application also contains information about the Consumer Protection Act -- 1986, "know your jurisdiction (revenue/police)", certificate/permission issuance procedure, one-touch emergency helpline numbers, information about e-Sampark Centres, gazetted and restricted holidays of Chandigarh and "know your property (linked to the Chandigarh Administration website)".