Capital rolls out online complaint system

ISLAMABAD:

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has launched a new online complaints mechanism enabling citizens to report civic issues by tagging the authority's official account, @cdathecapital, or the CDA Chairman, @RandhawaAli, on social media platforms.

Officials say the initiative is intended to make municipal services faster, more transparent and easier to monitor. Speaking to the media on Sunday, a CDA spokesperson said that complaints submitted online would be addressed "immediately," with field teams dispatched to resolve issues at residents' doorsteps.

He added that the system is designed to strengthen direct communication between citizens and the authority while reducing the delays that frequently hinder municipal service delivery. Although residents have broadly welcomed the initiative as a step towards modernisation, many remain cautious, noting that previous complaint systems were undermined by sluggish response times and weak inter-departmental coordination.

"This is a positive move, but the CDA must ensure the system functions effectively in practice," said Zameer, a resident of G-9, who observed that earlier attempts "fizzled out after strong initial publicity." Another resident, Sadia Babar of I-8, said the digital platform would make reporting easier, "but it needs proper monitoring; otherwise the complaints will once again accumulate unanswered."