Gandhinagar

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday launched an initiative, under which the state government has simplified 20 high-transaction services across five major departments by making them available online to facilitate citizens.

Patel announced the initiative - Sugam Digital Gujarat - at the Mahatma Mandir here.

The initiative was introduced based on the recommendations of the fifth report of the Gujarat Administrative Reforms Commission (GARC).

Through the Sugam Digital Gujarat, essential services like income and caste certificates, ration cards, and affidavits will now become "faceless, cashless, and paperless", an official release said.

Government programmes serve as a medium through which the government's work reaches the people. Through media outreach, information should reach every household so that eligible citizens can fully benefit from the schemes, Patel said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched 'SWAGAT Online' initiative in 2002, emphasising the use of technology, he said, adding that building on that vision, 20 new services are being moved from "line" to "online."

The Gujarat government is providing faceless, cashless, and paperless services, enabling citizens to access them from the comfort of their own homes. Any issues faced by citizens in this digital process are given the highest priority for resolution, the release said.

In villages, people first approach talathis or Village Computer Entrepreneurs (VCEs). The more these online services are promoted, the greater the benefit to both citizens and administration. The goal should always be to make citizens' work easier, CM Patel was quoted as saying in the release.

When public representatives and government officials work together in one direction, the results are outstanding. Gujarat has demonstrated that collective efforts lead to precise outcomes even in challenging situations, he added.

According to the CM, when digital payments were first introduced, many doubted their feasibility, but today, even small vendors widely use digital payments and this success is due to public cooperation.

READ MORE: Col Sofiya Qureshi redefined the role of women in Military

With digital data systems, citizens will not have to submit the same documents for different services. A digital locker system is also being introduced, he said.

To achieve the vision of "Developed India 2047," Gujarat must continue advancing in digital transformation. Simplification through digitalisation has made citizen services easier, Patel added.