AP Seva 2.0: Improved version of the citizen service portal launched

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister launched AP Seva 2.0, a citizen service portal. This new version enhances the existing platform by offering citizens hassle-free, interactive, and globally accessible government-to-citizen services. The GSWS (Grama-Ward Sachivalams) Department had unveiled Citizen Service Portal 1.0 on 26 January, which provided an interface to access all 540 services from several departments through a unified platform.

The GSWS Citizen Service Portal served as the primary interface for all government services in the state, and the village and ward secretariats have successfully delivered approximately 3.46 billion services in the last two years, providing undeniable proof of the necessity and success of our government's village and ward secretariat system.

Speaking at the launch, the Chief Minister said, "We are launching a new portal with the use of cutting-edge technology, which will improve service delivery accountability and transparency. The services will also become more efficient. This is a fantastic programme that will help us enhance our system so that we can raise accountability quickly and transparently, especially in remote villages. All of these services are also being totally digitized. From the village and ward secretariat personnel through the zonal, district, and lastly, state secretariat staff, everyone will be working on the same platform."

Features of the portal:

1. Interactive System: Provide real-time feedback to the citizen about the status of his/her application and receive communication about any movement of the application, beginning with an acknowledgment when the citizen applies and ending with an SMS to the citizen every time the application moves from one functionary to another.

2. Transparency: Establish a fool-proof method in which the authorizing authority can refuse a service request only if the applicant fails to provide a legitimate document/eligibility. There would be no more option to reject any application without recording a specific reason, which would then be conveyed to the individual.

3. Increased Accountability: Improving the efficiency and accountability of village, mandal, and district level officials by digitizing approval procedures at each level of the hierarchy through which an application goes. While processing an application, every functionary must now use a digital signature to sign the document, ensuring accountability.

4. User Experience: Improving the citizen experience via pre-filling application forms with information already accessible from the government and process re-engineering.

5. Tracking the Request: Make it easier for citizens to monitor their service requests by offering an open-access feature that allows them to follow their service requests in real-time up to the level of village secretariat workers such as VROs, welfare association assistants, Revenue Inspectors.

The GSWS Department, with a total workforce of around 4 lakh people, is a mega-machinery for ensuring efficient and flawless public service delivery. The Department has 15,004 grama-ward secretariats with 1.34 lakh officials and about 2.60 lakh volunteers deployed at the village and ward level to guarantee that every resident receives their programmes and services at their doorstep.