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A graphic representation of how the service is offered.

T.E. Raja Simhan

Jalgaon District in the north-west region of Maharashtra is known for its advances in horticulture. Its production of bananas and cotton through drip irrigation has been cited as a role model for cultivators in other parts of India.

Now the district, with a population of around four million, is changing the way people communicate and interact with the district administration through the e-lokshahi project.

Connecting with the administration is just a phone call away, says the district collector Kunal Kumar who gave eWorld details of the project implemented by the Chennai-based Bay Talkitec.

The project, according to the collector, provides an opportunity for people to interact with the District Authorities regardless of where they are.

Queries and complaints can be made through a phone call. The callers are then given a token number using which they can check the status of their request later by dialling into the IVR (interactive voice recording) system.

Callers do not need to worry about whether their requests are being looked into, says the collector. The officer concerned needs to address the issue within a time frame, failing which it gets escalated to the next higher level. If a complaint is not closed within a pre-defined time frame, even the collector gets the alert.

The collector cites some instances where the service is of help. Prior to the implementation of this system, people needed to wait anywhere between seven days and seven months for a property document. Often, they would make several trips to the tahsildar’s office.

All that is not required now. Citizens wanting service will only need to call in, get a token number and let the process take its course.

The services offered number over 90, including queries over government fee or frequently asked questions.

E-lokshahi saves time, money and effort, while promising quick response, he says.

People need not travel long distances, or spend money despite there being no assurance that the officer concerned will be available at the time, he points out.

Enthused by the project, the Jalgaon collectorate has proposed it to the Maharashtra government, which now plans to install the e-lokshahi project in all district collectorates, he says.

Where does Bay Talkitec come into the picture?

The company has experience in the IVR and Customer Interaction Management space. It has also equipped itself with the required domain knowledge of the procedures in the Collector’s Office, says Kunal Kumar.

The company worked more as part of the team rather than as outside system vendor and completed the project in time, he says.

raja@thehindu.co.in

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