• Op‑ed by Dr. D. Dhanuraj, Chairman, Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), in Mathrubhumi, titled “സെൽ വരണം, ഡേറ്റ വേണം” (“We Need a Complaint Cell, We Need Data”), on priorities for the new Kochi Municipal Corporation council.​

The op-ed piece by Dhanuraj, Chairman of CPPR, argues that as a new council takes charge of Kochi Municipal Corporation after the local body elections, citizens’ expectations and the responsibilities of the new administration increase, and the first priorities should be to establish an effective grievance redressal cell and create a strong data system.​

Need for a Grievance Redressal cell

• The author notes that Kochi, despite being Kerala’s most developed city, continues to face chronic issues like waste management failures and waterlogging.​

• A dedicated city-level grievance redressal cell is proposed so residents can directly report problems and receive time‑bound responses, since the mayor or deputy mayor cannot personally track every local issue.​

Importance of data

• The article stresses that efficient civic administration is impossible without reliable data, pointing out that the Corporation may not even have an accurate count of public drinking water taps.​

• Building comprehensive datasets across sectors is presented as essential for quicker, more precise problem‑solving and for planning future interventions.​

Long‑term vision for Kochi

• Dhanuraj urges the new council to adopt a long‑range vision for the next 10–20 years, first deciding clearly what Kochi wants to be—port city, financial hub, IT city, or another defined model.​

• For Kochi, the article suggests that developing as a port city is likely the most suitable path, and calls on the council to align development goals accordingly.​