Gujarat brings 20 public services online to cut delays, paperwork
Gandhinagar, March 23
The Gujarat government has brought 20 of its highest-demand public services online, aiming to ease access and reduce processing time for lakhs of applicants, according to an official statement issued on Monday.
The move targets services that account for a substantial share of applications on the state's 'Digital Gujarat' platform, which receives nearly 1.2 crore applications annually.
Of these, around 87 lakh applications are linked to the 20 services now being digitised, highligthing their importance in citizens' day-to-day interactions with the state government.
The decision follows recommendations made in the fifth report of the Gujarat Administrative Reforms Commission (GARC) and forms part of the "Sugam Digital Gujarat" initiative being implemented by the state's Science and Technology Department.
"Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the government is reaching citizens at their doorstep and is making the 20 most-applied services citizen-centric by bringing them online," the statement said.
The state government said the initiative is designed to promote faceless, cashless and paperless governance.
"The primary objective of this initiative is to make government services simpler, faster and more transparent so that citizens can access them easily at their fingertips," it added.
The services included in the first phase span five departments.
The Social Justice and Empowerment Department accounts for 11 services, including Socially and Economically Backward Classes certificates (rural and urban), non-creamy layer certificates for both the state government and the Central government, Scheduled Caste certificates, Economically Weaker Section certificates, and income certificates.
The Food and Civil Supplies Department has six services, covering addition and deletion of names in ration cards, corrections, issuance of separate ration cards, new ration cards and duplicate ration cards.
The Revenue Department has included a request for copy service, while the Legal Department has brought an affidavit-related service online.
The Tribal Development Department has included issuance of Scheduled Tribe caste certificates.
According to the state government, only about four per cent of services on the Digital Gujarat platform currently have end-to-end digital delivery, with many still being provided through Jan Seva Kendras and e-Gram centres.
Officials said this reflects both the strength of the existing service delivery network and the scope for further digital expansion.
The new system allows citizens to enter their data once and reuse it across multiple services.
Application forms have been simplified and requirements for unnecessary documents removed.
Documents will be verified digitally through Aadhaar-based authentication, API-enabled online record checks, and integration with DigiLocker.
Additional features include e-Sign facilities, QR code-enabled certificates, online payments through UPI and service delivery through messaging platforms.
"With services becoming faceless, citizens will receive transparent services through the online portal," the statement said.
The state government said the changes are expected to reduce approval stages through process re-engineering, leading to faster disposal of applications.
It added that the absence of a requirement to visit offices would help citizens save both time and travel costs, while improved data integration would enhance accuracy and reduce errors in issued certificates.
"The state government is realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a Developed India. Citizen-centric governance remains at the core of government services," the statement said.
The administration added that more services will be brought under the Sugam Digital Gujarat initiative in the future, alongside plans to undertake technology-driven projects, including the development of artificial intelligence models in the Gujarati language.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Great initiative, but the real test is in the execution. My experience with some online portals has been frustrating due to glitches and lack of support. I hope they have a robust grievance redressal system and proper digital literacy drives, especially for rural and elderly citizens.
Finally! The 'non-creamy layer' certificate process is a nightmare. Agents charge a bomb for it. Making it online and transparent will cut out the middlemen and corruption. Big thumbs up if they can deliver on this promise.
As someone who recently moved to Gujarat for work, simplifying processes for certificates and documents is a welcome change. The "enter data once, use multiple times" feature is smart. Will make settling in much easier for professionals from other states.
Reducing paperwork and visits is a blessing. But what about data privacy? With Aadhaar integration and all documents in one place, the government must ensure the highest security standards. A single breach could be catastrophic.
My mother in our village needs a new ration card. If she can do this from the e-Gram centre with help, without traveling to the taluka office, it will save us so much time and money. Hope the training for the centre staff is thorough. This is real 'ease of living'.
M We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.