Governance goes digital: Hyderabad citizens can now lodge grievances via WhatsApp

Hyderabad: In a move aimed at improving citizen access to government services, Hyderabad District Collector Harichandana Dasari on Monday, July 28, 2025, announced that residents can now submit grievances directly through WhatsApp.

Taking to her official handle on X (formerly Twitter), the Collector stated, “Citizens of Hyderabad! Governance now comes to you! You can now lodge your grievance via WhatsApp. Send your complaint to: 7416687878. You'll receive: Grievance ID. Action Taken Report (ATR). SMS Confirmation.” She added hashtags #HyderabadDistrict and #DigitalGovernance to the post.

📢 Citizens of Hyderabad!
🏠 Governance now comes to you!

You can now lodge your grievance via WhatsApp
📱 Send your complaint to: 7416687878

You'll receive:
✅ Grievance ID
📄 Action Taken Report (ATR)
📩 SMS Confirmation#HyderabadDistrict #DigitalGovernance pic.twitter.com/6YezfhdrIQ

— Collector Hyderabad (@Collector_HYD) July 28, 2025

Under the Telangana Government led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, this initiative allows citizens to raise complaints without visiting government offices. Once submitted, complainants will receive a unique Grievance ID, followed by an Action Taken Report (ATR) and SMS confirmation.

The initiative was welcomed by many online, with several users thanking the administration and expressing hope for timely action. Some users also raised questions about the types of grievances that can be submitted and called for the service to be extended to other districts like Medchal and Nizamabad.

The move comes amid complaints from citizens about the inaccessibility of officials. In one such incident, social media user Vinay Vangala (@vinay_vangala) shared his experience, “After traveling 22 kilometers on a Saturday, hoping to share some problems and discuss a few ideas at the GHMC office, I saw this poster and had to return, with complete disappointment! ₹300 wasted from my pocket!” He tagged the Chief Minister and GHMC officials, asking for accountability.

@revanth_anumula @TelanganaCMO @CommissionrGHMC
శనివారం సమస్యలు చెప్పుకొని, కొన్ని ఆలోచనలు పంచుకుందాం అని, 22 కిలోమీటర్లు ప్రయాణించి బల్దియా బాస్ కార్యాలయంకి పోతే ఈ పోస్టర్ చూసి తిరుగు ప్రయాణం అయ్యా పూర్తి నిరాశతో! (1/2)@oratorgreat@HiHyderabad @HydWatch @NeelimaEaty @swachhhyd pic.twitter.com/2i6O03uKr3

— Vinay Vangala (@vinay_vangala) July 26, 2025

Meanwhile, Hyderabad continues to gain recognition for its civic efforts. On July 17, 2025, the city was declared the “Swachh City” of Telangana in the Swachh Survekshan 2024. At the national level, Hyderabad ranked 6th among cities with populations over 10 lakh and received a 7-star rating in the “Garbage-Free City” category. It also earned the ODF (Open Defecation Free) Water+ certification.

The award was presented by Union Minister Manohar Lal at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. Dr. K. Ilambarithi, Secretary of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department, and GHMC Commissioner R.V. Karnan received the award on behalf of the city. This year’s improved ranking builds on Hyderabad’s previous performance, where it placed 9th and earned a 5-star rating in 2024.