Staff Reporter
Panaji
Government services in the state are now available at a swipe on mobile phone, with 241 such services accessible on WhatsApp.
The department of information technology has integrated the GoaOnline platform with WhatsApp, allowing citizens to access government documents, certificates, bills, payment receipts and notifications effortlessly.
The WhatsApp-based service aims at making governance citizen-centric and easily accessible. The keyword-based system helps users navigate through various services efficiently. GoaOnline users will be able to check the status of their applications, receive due date reminders and access service pre-requisites.
They will also be able to obtain step-by-step guidance and apply for all 241 services through WhatsApp. The new artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted platform is expected to enhance usage experience.
Pointing out that the government is serious about digital transformation, IT Minister Rohan Khaunte said, “Government services are steadily becoming more efficient and accessible by transitioning from manual processes to a web-based platform called GoaOnline, later to ‘anytime, anywhere doorstep service delivery’ called Gramin Mitra and now bringing services directly to citizens’ fingertips via WhatsApp.”
The online portal presently offers services of 41 departments. So far, 37,54,883 applications have been processed by the portal for services like water bill payment, NOC for road-cutting, tracking of court cases etc.
The web-based platform was started in 2017 under the guidance of late former Defence minister and ex-chief minister Manohar Parrikar. The platform proved to be a blessing to citizens especially during the pandemic.
