Online spanner in the works
THE GREEN party (Los Verdes) have called for the regional ombudsman to issue a ruling over what they describe as the ‘collapse’ of two essential services in Torrevieja – social services and the census office.
Greens' spokeswoman Carmen Morate said the party had received ‘numerous complaints over the disastrous introduction of the council’s electronic administration system’. This has meant that residents have not been able to access essential services such as municipal register (padrón) renewal and social services procedures, which are now being carried out via the ‘sede electrónica’ window on the council’s webpage.
She claimed that the incompetence of the town hall is putting people’s grants at risk, as well as other procedures such as obtaining residence permits or registering a child at school.
Residents have not been able to get appointments to manage their ‘padrón’, she noted, which has caused serious problems for many people.
Sra Morate noted that these complaints have been passed on the ombudsman ‘with a view to guaranteeing the rights of citizens’ and securing a ‘normal service’ for them. The internet-based services offered by the town hall had been ‘set up in a rush’ and not done properly, she said.
Sra Morate stated that Torrevieja council was not the only branch of government having problems with online services but she added that other authorities had taken steps to resolve them, ‘something which has not happened in Torrevieja’.