BANGALORE: The next time you have a problem related to electricity, dial 080-22370711 / 22 / 33 /44 to register a complaint and expect an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) to take care of the redressal. Arguably for the first time in the country, the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL), along with All India Radio, on Monday launched the 24-hour IVRS-based helpline called "Prasara Jyoti" for KPTCL and all the Electricity Companies (ESCOMs) in the State.

Formally inaugurated by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, the IVRS system would log each complaint onto a computer.

The complaint would then be forwarded to the respective Assistant Executive Engineer via SMS for redressal.

The IVRS monitors the response to the complaints lodged and escalates from Assistant Engineer to Chief Engineer if the officials did not respond to the complaint in 48 hours.

Functioning

When the consumer's call lands at the IVRS, the system prompts the user to make seven to eight choices for narrowing down their details such as language of their choice for interaction, name, RR number, address, sub-division details as mentioned in the energy bill and nature of complaint. A unique complaint number is generated and conveyed for each registration.

The complaint is recorded in the system's database as a voice file automatically by default. Otherwise, the consumer can speak to the operator if he or she chooses this option to manually lodge the complaint.

The complaints are screened, filtered and forwarded to the respective field engineer for remedial action.

Once the complaint is closed, the IVRS will automatically dial the complainant's telephone number or SMS the status.

Prasar Bharti Chief Executive Officer K.S. Sharma said the system, the brainchild of KPTCL Managing Director Bharat Lal Meena, would become a model for many public utilities to emulate not only in Karnataka but also in other States. Six state departments were in talks with Prasar Bharti to set up similar IVRS systems for their consumers.

Mr. Sharma said the system had been tested for the last 90 days, receiving a "very positive" response from the public. "Phone-in programmes are the most popular because of their interactivity. Besides, there is also the trust in All India Radio. Even Veerappan used to believe a message to him only if it was broadcast through Akashvani," he said.

Assistance

Mr. Kumaraswamy assured the State Government's assistance to KPTCL's Rs. 6,000-crore programme to improve power supply to all the villages and families. Besides, in the Budget, the Government had earmarked Rs. 83 crore to subsidise the electricity costs of poor families, he said.

Phone-in programme

Doordarshan Kendra, Bangalore, and All India Radio will alternately present an interactive "Hello-CM" phone-in programme, featuring the Chief Minister. The public could call the Chief Minister once a month and seek redressal of their grievances.

Later, Mr. Kumaraswamy told presspersons that the Government would take all steps to bring down the extent of power theft in the State to about 10 to 12 per cent.

On the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project which will provide drinking water for Hubli-Dharwad region, Mr. Kumaraswamy said he would discuss the matter with the Union Water Resources Minister in Delhi on Tuesday.

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