New Delhi: Fed up with navigating roads in your neighbourhood littered with leftover construction material? Give “Bajri Road Per Padi Hui Hai Hatwaye” (remove the gravel from the road) a try.
Or the next time you find yourself wading through knee-deep water on inundated roads during the monsoon, go ahead and use “Road Per Ganda Pani Bah Rha Hai” (dirty water is flowing on the road).
For every little inconvenience you might face in the city, from waterlogging problems to monkey or stray animal-related menace in your neighbourhood, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) is saying, ‘We’ve got a complaint option for that!’
Established in 1994 under The Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 1959, the JMC caters to the civic needs of the residents of the capital city of Rajasthan. In an absurd and unexpected twist, it has been turning heads and amusing internet users with the quirky complaint options available on its official website.
“Bandar Mar Gaya Hai,” “Kutta Mar Gaya Hai,” “Chhota Janwar Mara Hua Hai,” or “Dustbin Not Clean” are just a few of the gems residents have the option to choose from.
While most government websites are often as dry as the Thar Desert and twice as confusing, the JMC decided to simplify the process, taking it up a notch with its refreshingly informal approach — which literally yells that filing a municipal complaint doesn’t have to be a dull and tedious task.
Imagine trying to report a dead monkey menace, and instead of sifting through formal bureaucratic jargon, you’re met with a relatable and chuckle-worthy option like “Bander Mar Gaya Hai”. It’s almost enough to make you forget that you have a dead monkey lying in your backyard.
One cannot help but imagine the brainstorming sessions and absurd discussions that led to these options. Picture a room full of developers and officials, sipping on tea and laughing as they come up with the most relatable ways of dealing with everyday nuisances. This is even more amusing as it comes in stark contrast to dull, textbook government platforms.
ThePrint reached Somya Gurjar, the mayor of Jaipur, and Rajendra Kumar Verma, additional commissioner of the municipal corporation, by phone and text, for comment but had received no response by the time of publication. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
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Making filing complaints accessible
While you might argue that government websites should hold a certain formal tone, the JMC’s new approach underscores an important point — ‘accessibility’.
Jaipur’s residents can now report issues without feeling burdened by the technicalities of the complaints procedure.
The screenshots of its official website, which have been going viral on the micro-blogging platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), reveal a list of downright hilarious complaint categories written in Hinglish — a mixture of Hindi and English.
Appreciating the casual innovation by the government, Anurag Minus Verma, host of the Anurag Minus Verma Podcast, posted on ‘X’: “Jaipur Municipal Corporation doing it right”.
Jaipur Municipal Corporation doing it right 🫡 pic.twitter.com/ui3cXtn4L3
— Anurag Minus Verma (@confusedvichar) July 10, 2024
The sheer creativity and unique approach have not only made the complaint process more accessible but also injected a much-needed dose of humour into the usually staid world of government bureaucracy, say users on ‘X’.
“The developer of Jaipur Municipal Corporation’s website is crazy,” posted one user.
Devangi Jain is an intern with ThePrint