Bhubaneswar: The State Government today signed an MoU with Meta to launch a unified WhatsAppchatbot that will offer all public services to more than 45 million people in the state.
The Centre for Modernizing Government Initiative (CMGI) signed the MoU on behalf of the government of Odisha with Meta India here in presence of Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Development Commissioner Anu Garg and other senior government officers.
The Unified WhatsAppChatbot will integrate 429 government services into a single WhatsApp number, enabling citizens to access critical services like essential certificates viz. birth, death, legal heir, residence, and income certificates, licenses (driving license, fertilizer license etc.) and incentive schemes (inter-caste marriage benefits, National Family Benefit Scheme,) and more, officials said.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Secretary said “The government of Odisha is committed to delivering seamless public services, ensuring that every citizen experiences convenience and efficiency at the last mile. This commitment is underscored by our investment in technology and training, aiming to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and enhance overall accessibility.”
Development Commissioner Smt. Garg was confident that people would avail services and will empower them with ease through the Unified WhatsApp Bot.
Executive director of CMGI, Vineet Bharadwaj said ease of access to public services is still a challenge in Odisha. Currently, there are four modes of accessing any public service in Odisha – visiting the concerned office (offline mode), accessing the web portal of the concerned department/office, accessing the specific mobile app of that particular service, or through assisted service (by visiting a Common Service Center).
“Recognizing the need for a more user-friendly and accessible mode for public service delivery, we believe that WhatsApp will enable citizens to avail the desired services on one single platform through a single number, enabling swift and convenient access to services.,” Shri Bharadwaj said.
The state aims to deliver all public services notified under Odisha Right to Public Services Act, 2012 through WhatsApp by the end of 2025, enabling citizens to access them through text and voice, he informed.
Ravi Garg, Director, Business Messaging, Meta in India, said “We are thrilled to partner with the government of Odisha and bring the power and reach of WhatsApp to millions of people in the state, giving them easy access to citizen services at their fingertips.”
Meta has already partnered with the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to introduce WhatsApp-based citizen service delivery models, aimed at enhancing accessibility and efficiency