Every citizen will be given a Digi locker for safety of their documents
Vijayawada:The Andhra Pradesh government is introducing a system wherein all certificates can be stored in mobile phones for use at appropriate time. Every individual will also be provided with a digi-locker for the safety of their documents. There will be no need to carry paper bunches.
Secretary to the state’s ITE&C and RTG departments, Bhaskar Katamneni, said the real-time governance society (RTGS) is establishing a large data lake to integrate data from all departments of the state government.
He said, “In the near future, citizens will no longer need to physically carry their documents. Instead, all their documents will be digitally available on their mobile phones. The government is working towards this goal.”
The secretary held a review meeting, wherein he stated, “There is no centralized data system within the government now. All departments have data, which is not integrated. This is creating technical barriers that hinder the efficient delivery of government services to citizens. The need for integration of data is important.
He recalled that the chief minister wants to create a scenario wherein citizens need not visit government offices; instead, citizens should be able to access all the services they need via their mobile phones. He said, “In alignment with this vision, RTGS is establishing a large data lake to integrate data from all departments. This will help provide more efficient digital services to citizens.”
As part of this vision, the state government recently launched WhatsApp Governance. The government signed an MOU with Meta for this purpose. Currently, 161 services are available via WhatsApp Governance. In future, all services and certificates required by citizens for any purpose can be accessed through WhatsApp, the secretary said.
Bhaskar said citizens will not need to carry paper documents such as a driving licence. Keeping these on their mobile phone via WhatsApp will be sufficient. “Citizens can store certificates in Digi lockers, which will allow them to securely download and access their certificates as needed.”
Citizens would be able to make payments through WhatsApp as well. The government aims to provide citizens with three main services through WhatsApp: obtaining certificates, accessing information, and requesting services from the government.”
The secretary urged every department to appoint a chief data technical officer (CDTO) within two days. The process of sharing data across departments through the RTGS Data Lake, he said, should be completed within a week. The meeting was attended by Dinesh Kumar, CEO of RTGS, among others.
