The state has notified around 224 services from various departments under 'Right To Service Initiative' (RTS), out of which 156 have been launched altogether on 'Aaple Sarkar', an online portal which the public can access.
As part of his strategy envisaging Maharashtra as a digital state by 2019, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched the second phase of 'Aaple Sarkar', putting 109 government services online across the state. These are in addition to the 46 services that went digital in 2015 during the first-ever launch.
With this, citizens will be now not only be able to file RTIs (Right To Information), raise grievances, but also lend their suggestions to the government on various aspects of development, including the making of the state budget of this year with the push of a key.
"This is the second phase of the 'Aaple Sarkar' portal. We received an overwhelming response from citizens and we shall continue to expand the scope in our strides to see Maharashtra as a digital state," Fadnavis said, while speaking at the second-phase launch of the portal, at the Sahyadri state guest house in Mumbai on Republic Day.
The state has notified around 224 services from various departments under 'Right To Service Initiative' (RTS), out of which 156 have been launched altogether on 'Aaple Sarkar', an online portal which the public can access. For those places where the internet does not reach, the website can be accessed through government-run centres that are being set up in every district, but the current procedure for these services will continue until the time the state reaches 100% digital literacy.
"This is just the half-way. We have set a target to go 100% digital, wherein all services are online, by October 2, 2016. Plans are also been worked out to avail operations of these services from mobiles," Fadnavis said.
Chief Secretary Swadheen Kshatriya added that the online portal is the best way to boost the interface between the state and the citizens. "Digital mode is the way to revolutionise the lives of people. Why should citizens queue for hours and days in Mantralaya for their work and issues, when a press of a key can facilitate the same? The role of the government is to ease the concerns of the citizens, and the portal will do just the same," Kshatriya said.
Numbers speak volumes
Launched a year back on January 26, 2015, the online portal of 'Aaple Sarkar' so far has witnessed over 24,000 grievances, out of which 19,500 have been resolved. The system also registered a mammoth eight lakh applications for Right To Service (RTS).
"The resolution rate of complaints filed is 89%. In the coming days, all the departments will be trained and guided to bolster the rate and sail it to 100%," Fadnavis said. The government also plans to set up more than 40,000 'Aaple Sarkar' centres across Maharashtra in attempts to bridge the digital-divide in the state.
Social Justice and Public Health departments continue to 'digital' drag
While most of the departments continue to heed the online transformation initiated by Fadnavis, Public Health and Social Justice continue their 'digital-drag', even after a year has passed. According to a senior officer from the Chief Minister's Office, the highest 'digital' apathy is witnessed in the departments of Public Health, headed by the Shiv Sena's Deepak Sawant and Social Justice, headed by Rajkumar Badole.
"There was a huge fight between a CMO officer assigned to the digital transformation and the ministers on the number of unresolved cases and unattended applications. However, even with the instructions of the CM, the departments are yet to pull up their socks," an officer alleged.
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