Citizens to Receive Civic Services at Home Through Smart Chatbot

Raipur, September 18

Bilaspur is set to become the first municipal corporation in the state where citizens will be able to access most civic services from the comfort of their homes via a smart chatbot. Taking a major step towards Digital India, the Bilaspur Municipal Corporation is launching a WhatsApp-based chatbot service. Through this, citizens will be able to access services such as property tax information and payment, building permissions, complaint registration, and birth/death certificates within minutes.

How the Smart Chatbot Will Work

Using this chatbot will be very simple. The corporation will issue a dedicated WhatsApp number: +91 88157 82574. After saving the number in their phone, users just need to send a message saying “Hi” or “Namaste”. They will receive an automated reply with a list of available services. Citizens can then choose the relevant option and complete the process. The chatbot will function based on AI and Meta’s model. The municipal corporation will also promote this service through its website and social media to ensure maximum reach and benefit to the public.

Swachh Ward Challenge in Bilaspur: ₹10 Lakh Prize to Be Awarded

To further the efforts of keeping the city clean and achieving top national ranking, the Bilaspur Municipal Corporation is launching the Swachh Ward Challenge. This was announced by Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu. Under this challenge, all wards will be surveyed monthly, and the cleanest ward that meets the sanitation criteria will be awarded an additional ₹10 lakh for development work.

Additionally, this year, inspired by the Swachh Ganesh Pandal initiative, a Swachh Durga Utsav Pandal Competition will also be organized within the Bilaspur Municipal Corporation area. The cleanest Durga pandals will be awarded first, second, and third prizes.