CHANDIGARH, May 3:— The Municipal Corporation (MC) has come under criticism from the Indian Audit and Accounts Department for its failure to maintain records of public grievances and their disposal during the 2022–2024 audit period.
According to the audit report, the engineering wing of the MC — responsible for addressing complaints submitted through the civic body’s online portal, email, and post — did not maintain any comprehensive data on the number of complaints received, resolved, or pending.
“The absence of such data makes it impossible to assess the volume of grievances handled or track their status across departments such as horticulture, public health, building and roads, and electrical,” the report stated.
A test check of records at the Chief Engineer’s Office revealed that no control register or tracking mechanism was in place. Furthermore, when the shortcoming was pointed out during the audit, the department did not furnish any reply.
In another major lapse, the audit found that the MC had not maintained records of its fixed assets — including plant, machinery, furniture, and equipment — in violation of the General Financial Rules 2017, which mandate separate accounts for such items.
While the engineering wing claimed that a detailed response would be provided after record verification, no final action had been taken at the time of audit completion.
Reacting to the report, city-based social activist RK Garg said the failure to log and respond to citizen complaints reflected poorly on the civic body. “Residents pay property tax, parking fees and other levies. They expect timely redressal of their grievances,” he said.
He added, “The MC seems more diligent about recording defaulters than addressing public concerns. The Mayor and Commissioner must take corrective steps and ensure complaint data is updated and publicly accessible.”
Garg called for full transparency, urging the MC to publish all details related to complaints and their resolution on its official website.
