We built a prototype tool that helps citizens post grievances on X even without an account or knowing which government body to tag. We are rethinking our DIY-first approach for processes like obtaining death certificates and considering more hands-on support for grieving families. We are feeling bolder about scaling and are shaping a roadmap guided by a simple question: what would we do if resources were not a constraint?

‘BLR Tweet Assist’ – A citizen-driven experiment

A volunteer noted that the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) responds faster to complaints posted on Twitter, while issues reported via the GBA’s Sahaya app are often marked resolved without being fixed. 

Many citizens either do not use Twitter or are unsure which handle to contact. Additionally, tagging relevant MLAs could improve accountability and transparency. To address these challenges, the team developed a tool that helps citizens easily post complaints on Twitter from a central account. 

This tool is currently a rough prototype. A more refined version suitable for citizen testing is expected to be ready in a couple of weeks.

Limited Expectations but true to our values

Other tools created to report potholes have seen limited traction beyond the initial buzz. Since our tool posts directly to Twitter, it may gain more traction. However, we are being pragmatic and have limited expectations; it is entirely possible that the GBA may ignore these tweets.

However, this serves as an example of what is possible. A citizen had a hypothesis, they vibe coded the tool, our UX and front-end volunteers are refining it before we release a v1 version to the public. If the tool sees adoption, we will professionalize the code and make it modular so it can be easily extended to other cities. If not, we are still helping people build the muscle of civic participation and learn what works and what does not. 

Unlike our other tools, this one involves out-of-pocket expenses to pay for the Twitter API. We are fortunate to have funding to support this experiment. Thank you Dr. Malpani. 

Cutting through opacity of Govt. processes

We are working on two guides that are both delayed due to limited information available online. Ironically, one covers one of the oldest civic processes, registering a death and obtaining a death certificate, while the other relates to a newly launched digital e-stamping process.

Obtaining a death certificate

The death certificate process has shockingly little information available online, less than any guide we have written so far. Staff in field offices we consulted claimed to be unaware that death certificates can be downloaded online or that there is no need to pay for copies, as the certificate is digitally signed. We met with the Office of the Registrar of Births and Deaths and are awaiting responses to follow-up questions.

Until now, our stance has been to enable DIY processes, but in the case of death certificates, it raises the question of whether citizens should be expected to navigate unreliable Govt. websites during a time of immense grief. On Seva Sindhu, the portal for death registration and certificates, forms cannot be saved, and when the site times out, users are forced to restart from scratch. The alternative is applying offline, which further exposes citizens to the apathy of Govt. offices. We are therefore considering the logistics of applying for death certificates on behalf of citizens, free of charge.

Digital e-Stamping

The other guide is on digital e-Stamping, a fully online and paperless process launched by the Department of Stamps and Registration in October ’25, which allows citizens to draft documents, pay stamp duty, and have parties and witnesses sign electronically within minutes. We do not yet have reliable information on whether notarization is required for these documents.

Supporting citizen participation at the BDA

The Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) has asked Zen Citizen to form a citizen council, a group of citizens from different sections of society who have a stake in the BDA and help keep it accountable and responsive. Zen Citizen is also part of a small group documenting the process reforms that have led to increasing recognition of the BDA’s shift toward becoming more citizen centric.

This is an incredible opportunity for us to partner closely with one Govt. body and create a model that other Govt. bodies and departments across states can learn from, and we will be focusing on this from mid January.

Preparing for the next phase 

We are now seriously considering scaling our efforts. The testimonials we receive highlight the immense opportunity to improve the quality of interactions with the Govt. Alongside this, we have been fortunate to receive funding support with very little effort. We are shaping a roadmap starting with a simple question: what would we do if we had no resource constraints? The future looks bright 🙂