The Thrikkakara municipality is set to intensify groundwork for the roll-out of a mobile application for consumers within the municipal limits to review shops and establishments and lodge complaints against them.
A presentation of the proposed app designed by a Thrissur-based software development company will be made at a meeting of the health standing committee to be held on Friday. Later, the matter will be placed before the municipal council.
“We also plan to conduct a campaign to elicit suggestions from the public and IT experts on the features to be added in the app. The app will be rolled out after incorporating feasible suggestions from them,” said Unni Kakkanad, health standing committee chairperson.
Initially, the app will feature hotels and restaurants, supermarkets, hospitals, and fish markets. Reviews and complaints complete with pictures and videos can be uploaded on the app.
“While the reviews will be open to public, specific complaints will be open only to the designated admin panel. Similarly, action taken by the panel will be accessible to the complainants concerned alone,” said Saswath Mohan, senior developer with Red Orbe, the software company which has designed the app.
An admin panel comprising health inspectors, officials of Legal Metrology and Food Safety departments, and the police, besides social activists will be appointed to look into complaints received through the app. “The panel may meet once a month. Complaints that can be settled at their level will be resolved, and the complainants will be contacted. In cases where complaints warrant referral to the consumer court, steps will be taken to do so,” said Mr. Kakkanad.
Additional features may be added to the app in due course. “In future, AI-driven analytics delineating a pattern about complaints, such as institutions which face frequent complaints, and the type of complaints being raised could be devised,” said Mr. Mohan.
The municipality came up the idea of a mobile application after frequent incidents of food poisoning were reported by consumers after having food from eateries within the municipal limits.