The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Corporation to turn more citizen-friendly

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Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Corporation to turn more citizen-friendly

Kannal Achuthan

Service centres to be set up in all zones

The agents in the zonal offices will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m
Each centre would have three agents who will operate in shifts.

Chennai: The Chennai Corporation is planning to make its 10 zonal offices more citizen-friendly by bringing in agents trained in customer care.

The agents in the ‘citizen service centres’ in the zonal offices will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to handle queries from the public. They can also be contacted over phone. The civic body will identify a private firm that can provide agents to offer this service.

Citizens can seek information on birth and death registration certificates, property taxes, building permissions and licences. Such queries are now answered by Corporation staff in the service centres in the zonal offices.

Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni said professionally-trained agents would be able to create a citizen-friendly atmosphere in the zonal offices.

Property tax payment and obtaining birth/death certificates and applying for permissions have become easier with upgraded technology in zonal offices, the Commissioner said.

The citizen-friendly service by trained agents is another step in this direction, he said.

The civic body has called for bids from private firms specialising in front office administration or call centre customer care.

Agents are expected to be trained in interacting with citizens with respect, politeness and patience, said Corporation officials.

They would be fluent in both Tamil and English in order to respond to queries. Each centre would have three agents who will operate on shifts.

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