<p>Having cited lack of funds to provide basic amenities for some layouts, the BDA is preparing to splurge Rs 2.90 crore a year on a massive integrated call centre.</p>.<p>The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is justifying the facility, to be manned by 44 staffers with paygrades ranging upwards of Rs 40,000 to Rs 57,000, by pointing at more visitors though experts say the largely technical complaints it receives cannot be solved by workers of the call centre, despite the grand objective of making it a “professionally run” centre in addition to the helplines in existence.</p>.<p>Stunningly, the authority skipped the tender process to award the contract to Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KEONICS).</p>.<p>And for an organisation known to delay clearance of files, the proposal to sanction the contract to KEONICS passed the tables of the BDA secretary, chairman and commissioner on a single day (on March 14, 2022).</p>.<p>A quotation submitted by a private service provider to KEONICS highlights salary as the major component of the Rs 2.90-crore facility.</p>.<p>Employees will be paid anywhere between Rs 40,438 and Rs 57,878 a month, with hardware and software equipment, including computers and telephones, to cost Rs 25 lakh.</p>.<p>BDA’s Commissioner Rajesh Gowda did not respond to calls.</p>.<p>The BDA’s letter to KEONICS has stated that it receives complaints either personally or by post.</p>.<p>It believes a professionally run helpline centre will smoothly and efficiently address issues.</p>.<p><strong>‘Helping officers needed, not a helpline'</strong></p>.<p>The decision that startled many has been seen as a frittering of taxpayers’ money. “Unlike Bescom, BWSSB and BBMP, the BDA gets complaints that cannot be solved by employees working in the helpline,” said Shivakumar B M, president of Jayaprakash Narayan Vedike.</p>.<p>“The complaints received by the BDA are technical, ranging from compensation to land acquisition issues and development of layouts.”</p>.<p>“Instead of a helpline, the BDA must genuinely find out what kind of visitors are coming to the BDA and try to solve their problems,” he said, adding the authority needs helping officers and not helpline.</p>.<p>Shivakumar said the BDA has a record of distributing over 1.5 lakh sites in nine years. “It did not develop a single site after 2005,” he noted.</p>
<p>Having cited lack of funds to provide basic amenities for some layouts, the BDA is preparing to splurge Rs 2.90 crore a year on a massive integrated call centre.</p>.<p>The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is justifying the facility, to be manned by 44 staffers with paygrades ranging upwards of Rs 40,000 to Rs 57,000, by pointing at more visitors though experts say the largely technical complaints it receives cannot be solved by workers of the call centre, despite the grand objective of making it a “professionally run” centre in addition to the helplines in existence.</p>.<p>Stunningly, the authority skipped the tender process to award the contract to Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KEONICS).</p>.<p>And for an organisation known to delay clearance of files, the proposal to sanction the contract to KEONICS passed the tables of the BDA secretary, chairman and commissioner on a single day (on March 14, 2022).</p>.<p>A quotation submitted by a private service provider to KEONICS highlights salary as the major component of the Rs 2.90-crore facility.</p>.<p>Employees will be paid anywhere between Rs 40,438 and Rs 57,878 a month, with hardware and software equipment, including computers and telephones, to cost Rs 25 lakh.</p>.<p>BDA’s Commissioner Rajesh Gowda did not respond to calls.</p>.<p>The BDA’s letter to KEONICS has stated that it receives complaints either personally or by post.</p>.<p>It believes a professionally run helpline centre will smoothly and efficiently address issues.</p>.<p><strong>‘Helping officers needed, not a helpline'</strong></p>.<p>The decision that startled many has been seen as a frittering of taxpayers’ money. “Unlike Bescom, BWSSB and BBMP, the BDA gets complaints that cannot be solved by employees working in the helpline,” said Shivakumar B M, president of Jayaprakash Narayan Vedike.</p>.<p>“The complaints received by the BDA are technical, ranging from compensation to land acquisition issues and development of layouts.”</p>.<p>“Instead of a helpline, the BDA must genuinely find out what kind of visitors are coming to the BDA and try to solve their problems,” he said, adding the authority needs helping officers and not helpline.</p>.<p>Shivakumar said the BDA has a record of distributing over 1.5 lakh sites in nine years. “It did not develop a single site after 2005,” he noted.</p>