KURNOOL: Thousands of citizens across Rayalaseema are distressed over inordinate delays in the disposal of online municipal applications, raising questions about the efficacy of AP’s much-touted digital governance system.
Applicants who submitted requests online months ago are still waiting for an official response. More than 18,000 municipal applications in Rayalaseema have already crossed their SLA (service-level agreement) deadlines. The crisis is severe in the Rayalaseema region, covering Anantapur, Kurnool, YSR Kadapa and Chittoor districts.
In all these areas, municipal services are facing prolonged delays. Officials estimate that Rayalaseema alone accounts for nearly 18 per cent of the state’s total SLA violations, a figure that is steadily rising and causing growing concern.
Water supply services hit: The situation is no better in water supply-related services. Citizens seeking new water connections are facing long waits, with around 2,300 applications pending despite their submissions months ago. In addition, about 400 applications related to regularisation and additional water connections are also awaiting clearance.
Aspiring entrepreneurs and small traders are also bearing the brunt of administrative delays. Around 2,800 applications related to trade licences and licence renewals are pending across Rayalaseema municipalities. Business units complain that delays in approvals are exposing them to penalties and official notices.
In one such case, an applicant from Rajampet municipality applied for a trade licence to start an automobile spare parts business, but his application has not been approved so far, allegedly due to objections raised by a neighbouring shop owner.
“Because of the delay, I am unable to start my business. At the same time, officials threaten penalties for operating the unit without a licence,” the applicant said.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
