AP SEC launches new mobile app for lodging complaints over panchayat polls; YSRC questions move

Ahead of the gram panchayats polls starting next week, Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner N Ramesh Kumar on Wednesday launched "e-Watch", a specially designed mobile application that will enable the public to report all election-related grievances.However, the ruling YSR Congress objected to it, raising doubts about safety aspects of the new App and seeking to know the need for developing it when government apps were already available.The SEC brushed aside the criticism against e-Watch as baseless, saying it was an in-house development.

All media that comes into the App would be stored in the State Data Centre only while the government's "Mee Seva" gateway would be used to send one-time password to the users, Ramesh Kumar said.

A call centre with five staffers has also been set up in the SEC office in Vijayawada in collaboration with Reliance Jio.Complaints related to law and order, distribution of money and liquor and other poll-related issues could be filed through the App.

"Though they are private staff, they will be fully under the watch of the Commission officials only," he said, seeking to allay apprehensions about possible misuse.

The YSR Congress questioned why the SEC was not using the Nigha App of the state government or the C-Vigil of the central Election Commission.

"When there are government-developed Apps readily available, why is the SEC using an App developed by private persons? The government said it will develop a new App but the SEC refused. We objected to that since the App developed by the SEC cannot be trusted," Government Advisor (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy told reporters.

He said the e-Watch App did not have adequate security firewalls.

"There could be some filters in the App and our complaints may not get registered. It only proves the biased nature of the State Election Commissioner," the advisor alleged.

Rebutting this, Ramesh Kumar said any sort of complaints against election violations would be received through the App.

"All complaints will be forwarded to the respective district Collectors. It is the responsibility of the Collectors and the Superintendents of Police to address the complaints and resolve the issues. Otherwise they will be held liable," he told mediapersons.

Status of the complaints could be seen on the App.

Feedback from citizens would also be sought on the resolution of complaints and also the overall poll process, he said.