Odisha Govt Orders End-to-End Digital Public Services

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Odisha has ordered departments to eliminate manual handling from notified online public services wherever legally possible.
Online services are expected to remain digital from application and scrutiny through approval, certificate generation and delivery.
Physical interaction will be allowed only when required by law, rules or official orders.

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government is tightening its approach to digital public services, directing government departments to ensure that online applications do not return to manual processing at critical stages.

The order targets a common weakness in e-governance. Citizens may submit an application online but still have to visit an office, meet officials or collect documents physically before the service is completed.

Under the new direction, services notified under the Odisha Right to Public Services Act, 2012 (ORTPSA) are expected to follow a continuous digital workflow from submission to final delivery. The move is aimed at improving transparency, accountability, efficiency and timely service delivery.

Odisha Govt Digital Public Services to Follow Faceless Workflows

Principal Secretary of the General Administration Department Suresh Kumar Vashishth has asked department heads to address gaps that continue to require manual intervention in online services.

The government wants applications to move through digital submission, automated acknowledgement, electronic scrutiny, online approvals, digital certificate generation and electronic delivery wherever possible.

Applicants are also expected to receive automated updates through SMS, email and WhatsApp, reducing the need to repeatedly contact government offices for status information.

Odisha Digital Public Services Face 15-Day Implementation Push

The scale of the exercise is substantial. Odisha has notified 451 services under ORTPSA, with 352 already available through online platforms.

Departments have been directed to redesign, upgrade or reconfigure their systems so that an online application does not switch to a manual process midway. Action-taken reports must be submitted within 15 days, with the government assigning the exercise the highest priority.

Physical interaction will continue where it is genuinely necessary. Exceptions include physical verification, biometric authentication, inspections and cases where personal presence is specifically mandated by law, rules or government orders.

Odisha E-Governance Push Targets Faster Service Delivery

The government also plans to connect these digital services with the Central Monitoring System dashboard operated by the Centre for Modernising Government Initiative (CMGI) and the “Aama Sathi” WhatsApp bot.

Such integration could give officials a real-time view of applications, pending cases and service-delivery performance. It can also make it easier to identify backlogs and track whether departments are meeting prescribed timelines.