Maharashtra government to soon offer all citizen services on WhatsApp

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Maharashtra could soon offer all citizen services on WhatsApp. CM Devendra Fadnavis on Monday instructed officials to integrate all government-to-citizen services with WhatsApp, alongside the existing Aaple Sarkar portal, to enhance accessibility and ease of use for citizens.

Reviewing citizen services at his official residence 'Varsha', CM Fadnavis said each taluka should initially form a cluster of 10 to 12 villages where services can be provided as per local needs, and dedicated teams should manage these clusters to ensure timely delivery.

He further emphasised the need to cut down the number of documents required for applications and directed that third-party agencies conduct independent audits to ensure the quality of services, according to a release from the chief minister's office (CMO).

The chief minister also directed that dashboards of all zilla parishads, municipal corporations, and universities should be standardised to provide citizens with a uniform experience.

He directed officials to make all government-to-citizen services available on WhatsApp in addition to the 'Aaple Sarkar' portal.

Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar suggested enabling appeals within the service delivery framework and adopting a multi-modal system for certificate delivery, including email, portal and WhatsApp.

As many as 1,001 services are to be delivered through the Aaple Sarkar portal, of which 997 have already been made available.

In the last 15 days, 236 new services have been added, the CMO statement said.

Supriya Sule alleges Rs 4,800 crore scam in Maharashtra's Ladki Bahin Yojana

NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule on Monday alleged a Rs 4,800 crore scam in the Maharashtra government's Ladki Bahin Yojana. Opposition leader Sule, while slamming the current Maharashtra Government, also demanded a white paper and an inquiry into the financial assistance scheme for women.

While speaking to the media in Pune, Supriya Sule said, "A majority of beneficiaries have been omitted from the scheme, under which women in the age group of 21-65, whose annual family income is not more than Rs 2.5 lakh, are provided a monthly sum of Rs 1,500."

She further claimed, "Around 25 to 26 lakh names have been removed from the Ladki Bahin Yojana, of which nearly two lakh are from Pune. I want to ask the government, on what basis were the forms initially accepted, and now, on what parameters have the names been omitted?"