Gujarat govt to launch mobile app for delivery of common services

People of Gujarat would soon be able to avail a host of government services through their smartphones and tablets, with the state government deciding to launch a mobile application for the same.

"The Gujarat government has decided to launch the mobile app 'Digital Gujarat' by August 15. Our aim is to put most of the services on the fingertips of citizens, so that they don't have to visit government offices," Dhananjay Dwivedi, secretary - state's Science and Technology department, said.

"Initially, it would offer 30 services for which the citizens hitherto had to visit government offices or access the online portal digitalgujarat.gov.in," he said.

"Using this app, people can apply for various services, such as ration card. Initially, the services available through the app would include procurement of ration card, senior citizen certificate, caste certificate, domicile certificate, income certificate, widow certificate, SC/ST certificate, non creamy-layer certificate and religious minority certificate. These services are currently available through our portal also," he said.

"We plan to add 70 more services in later stages and take the number of services to 100," he said, adding the citizens would no longer be required to visit any government office even to register himself.

"We have prepared a Request For Proposal (RFP) to find a suitable developer to design the app," he apprised.

"Earlier, when the common services portal was launched, people were still required to visit nearby Jan Seva Kendra to verify their credentials before being registered. Now, we have done away with that provision, as we would verify the authenticity of the (app) user by checking his Aadhaar number or ration card number," Dwivedi said.

"Apart from providing e-services, the app would be equipped with several other features, including e-Locker to digitally store certificates," he said.

Users would be able to pay application fees among others using the e-Pay feature, he further said.

He said according to the guidelines issued in the RFP, the app would have option of feedback by the user, image capture, document upload, multilingual support, access to social media websites, etc.

"To make it user-friendly, the user interface would be available in English as well as Gujarati languages. The app would facilitate the users in the submission of applications, tracking status of their application, receiving alerts and notifications and paying fees online," he said.

With smartphone sales increasing by 3.9 percent in the first quarter of 2016, it is a good inititiative to bolster the integration and convenience of availing government services.