Working from home and managing household bills online during the pandemic? Deciding not to stay behind, the BMC is also bringing information and technology into its services.
On Friday, the civic body’s WhatsApp Chatbot was launched by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. The Chatbot will give information about over 80 services and facilities provided by the civic body and will be easily available to Mumbaikars on their mobile phones through WhatsApp number 8999228999. To start, all you need to do is say ‘Hi’ or ‘Namaste’.
Thereafter, two language options (Marathi and English) will surface. Once selected, you need to identify whether you are a common citizen, a businessperson or a traveller.
Through this Chatbot, you can pay taxes and even license fees. You can also know the address of a nearby Covid centre, park or a tourist destination. Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that Mumbai is the first municipal corporation in the country to provide more than 80 services to people at their doorstep through such a facility. “This day is written in golden letters. It can be described as a revolutionary day,” he said. He also said this initiative has made the work from home even more efficient. “As technology is advancing rapidly, we should consider how it can be used for giving more and more services to the public... ,” said Thackeray, praising the BMC for its work during the pandemic.
Environment minister Aaditya Thackeray, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar and BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal were also present at the event. Aaditya Thackeray said the city has set before the people a model of online, transparent and accountable municipal corporation. Chahal said the BMC is the first civic body in India to launch this service and problems can now be solved within seconds.
