200 government services now on Whatsapp, 150 to be added; aim is to raise it to 500 services
Vijayawada:Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has asked officials to ensure that every citizen in Andhra Pradesh must become digitally literate.
“Let us transform the state into one that’s fully digitally literate. Work toward this objective,” Naidu told officials at a review meeting he held on the People’s Perception and RTGS (Real-Time Governance System), at the Secretariat on Monday.
For the illiterate, a voice-based complaint submission feature will soon be introduced through WhatsApp Governance, he said and directed the officials to quickly implement systems that allow citizens to access WhatsApp Governance services through QR codes.
During this session, the CM reviewed the progress of the WhatsApp Governance initiative introduced by the government. He emphasized that citizens across the state should be able to easily utilize WhatsApp Governance, accessing all government services directly on their phones without them needing to visit government offices.
Naidu noted that public awareness on WhatsApp Governance was still limited. He asked district collectors to take responsibility and ensure that WhatsApp Governance is widely utilized across all districts. He also called for awareness campaigns through the village secretariat and its staff in various regions.
The CM stressed, “WhatsApp Governance is not only for receiving government services but also for submitting complaints and requests. Officials must inform the public about this facility. He emphasized that as digital literacy increases among the public, the use of WhatsApp Governance will naturally grow.”
Naidu called for accelerated progress on the setting up of a data lake and data integration, ensuring that global best practices are followed in its establishment.
Bhaskar Katamneni, secretary to IT and Real-Time Governance, informed the CM that 200 services are currently available through WhatsApp. By the end of this month, an additional 150 services will be added, bringing the total to 350.
In the next phase, the number of services will increase to 500. He also mentioned that the first phase of the data lake setup will be completed by May. Additionally, the government is planning to extensively implement Artificial Intelligence in the future, enabling the delivery of all services through a single platform under the "One State, One App" initiative.
During the review meeting, officials presented a report on public feedback. They said that people have expressed satisfaction with the food served in Anna Canteens. Around 90 per cent of citizens expressed full satisfaction with the operation of Anna Canteens.
When asked about the quality of the food, 94 per cent of the people said the food was excellent. Regarding cleanliness in the canteens, 96 per cent of people rated the canteens as neat and clean, while 4 per cent had a different opinion, the review meeting was told.
The officials added that the public also expressed satisfaction with the pension distribution process. Regarding the conduct of staff involved in pension distribution, 82.5 per cent of the people were satisfied.
The chief minister said, in response, “Where there is significant public dissatisfaction, officials should investigate the underlying issues and take corrective steps.”
Urban development minister P Narayana, agriculture minister K Atchannaidu, home minister Vangalapudi Anita, forests minister Kondapalli Srinivas, chief secretary K Vijayanand, CMO secretaries Muddaada Ravichandra, PS Pradyumna and Rajamouli were among those present.
