Gujarat govt, Meta tie-up: 20 citizen-centric services now a WhatsApp chat away

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat govt and Meta Platforms Inc on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding in Gandhinagar, paving the way for citizens to access 20 public services through a WhatsApp chatbot in both Gujarati and English.An official statement said that services such as grievance redressal, and income, caste and EWS certificates, ration card updates, revenue records, and official affidavits can be availed of through a single WhatsApp number. Chief minister Bhupendra Patel was present at the MoU-signing ceremony held in the state capital.In its successive reports, the Gujarat Administrative Reforms Commission (GARC) has recommended increased adoption of digital governance in citizen-centric services of various departments. The MoU between Meta and the state govt will be crucial in making these services more accessible and faster for people, ensuring last-mile delivery.“The govt is committed to progressively integrating more public services with this WhatsApp-based platform in the coming days, ensuring that citizens no longer need to navigate multiple portals or stand in long queues for essential services,” the chief minister said on his X handle.The govt said that in urban areas, services are reaching citizens through public service centres and VCE-based systems have been made operational in rural areas. “Now, with the MoU signed with Meta Platforms Inc. (Meta), Gujarat is entering the next phase of citizen-centric governance,” the statement said.An official statement said that in future, the entire process of filing applications to obtaining certificates will be made easier and faster for different services. The statement added that citizen services offered by other departments will also be gradually be made part of the WhatsApp chatbot service.