The services, including caste certificates, birth certificates, land records, and nativity certificates, will now be available on WhatsApp, allowing citizens to avoid visiting government offices, saving both time and effort
Published Jan 22, 2025 | 7:16 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 22, 2025 | 7:16 PM
A phone screen with social media applications. (iStock)
The Andhra Pradesh government has taken a key decision to eliminate the need for people to visit government offices or officials for utilising its services. Soon 150 types of services will be available to them on WhatsApp.
During Sankranti celebrations, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced the introduction of WhatsApp governance in the state, offering 150 types of services through the platform. Citizens can now access government services via their mobile phones, eliminating the need for office visits.
A pilot project for these services will be launched in Tenali by month-end, under the state’s WhatsApp governance initiative. The Real-Time Governance Society (RTGS) will oversee the development of the project.
Chief Secretary K Vijayanand said that the pilot project would be conducted at Tenali by the end of January.
“In line with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s vision, the state government will soon offer WhatsApp governance services to the public. As part of this initiative, people will soon be able to obtain birth and death certificates easily through WhatsApp,” Vijayanand said in a press release.
The services will include issue of caste certificates, birth certificates, land records (Adangal), nativity certificates, and more. With these services made available on WhatsApp, citizens will no longer need to visit government offices, saving both time and effort.
A senior TDP leader mentioned that the idea of offering 150 services through WhatsApp stemmed from feedback received during Nara Lokesh’s pre-election Yuvagalam Padayatra. During the walkathon, youth and citizens highlighted the challenges of obtaining certificates. They suggested that if groceries and other necessities could be ordered via WhatsApp, government services should also be accessible similarly.
In response, Lokesh promised to implement a system where permanent certificates could be obtained via WhatsApp once TDP came to power. The current “WhatsApp Governance” initiative fulfils that promise.
The Andhra Pradesh government has entered into a significant agreement with Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, to enable the issuance of caste certificates and other documents without requiring visits to government offices. Citizens will also be able to pay various bills through WhatsApp.
Under this agreement, signed in November 2024, the state government will provide various certificates, licenses, and other services directly through mobile phones as part of its advanced e-Governance initiative.
To utilise this service, beneficiaries must first save the government helpline number 9013151515. The pilot project will be launched in Tenali by the end of January, and the services will then be expanded across the state. Officials have confirmed that the comprehensive framework for implementing this initiative is already in place.
“Even for small tasks, people currently have to visit offices, but this will no longer be necessary. Offering 150 services through WhatsApp is a revolutionary decision. It will save significant time, especially for youth and unemployed individuals,” said Nallamati Satyanarayana from Vijayawada, expressing his happiness to South First.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
