FLO Bhubaneswar, under the leadership of Chairperson Biyot Projna Tripathy, hosted the orientation programme on the Odisha Right to Public Services Act (ORTPSA) and the “Ama Sathi” WhatsApp Bot with the objective of creating awareness about citizen-centric digital governance and strengthening the understanding of transparent, accountable, and time-bound public service delivery systems in Odisha.
Conducted in association with the Centre for Modernizing Government Initiative under the GA & PG Department, Government of Odisha, the programme focused on empowering citizens through simplified digital access to government services. It emphasized major governance reforms and initiatives such as Digital India, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Common Service Centres (CSCs), and digital health infrastructure, along with the statutory framework of ORTPSA that guarantees the timely delivery of notified public services.
The programme also addressed key governance challenges, including procedural delays, infrastructural limitations, lack of transparency, and restricted citizen accessibility. Further, participants were introduced to the “Ama Sathi” unified citizen service platform, designed to provide multilingual, 24×7 assistance through WhatsApp and web-based services.
Pinaki Mohanty, State Project Coordinator for ORTPSA, delivered a comprehensive demonstration of the Ama Sathi Unified WhatsApp Bot and explained its various functionalities designed to simplify public access to government services. He highlighted how the platform enables citizens to avail multiple services through a single WhatsApp interface with multilingual support, real-time application tracking, grievance redressal mechanisms, voice-enabled assistance, and digital delivery of certificates and documents.
During the programme, Surendra Kumar Meena, an Indian Administrative Service officer, shared valuable insights on responsive governance, digital public infrastructure, and inclusive development. He emphasized the importance of transparent administration, technology-driven reforms, and citizen empowerment in strengthening governance systems across Odisha.
Key Takeaways
- Public Services as a Legal Right: ORTPSA ensures that citizens receive government services within fixed timelines as a legal right.
- Citizen-Centric Governance: The programme emphasized transparent, responsive, accountable, and people-friendly governance systems.
- “Ama Sathi” Unified WhatsApp Bot: Citizens can access multiple government services through a single WhatsApp-based platform.
- Inclusive Digital Access: The platform supports both Odia and English languages along with voice-enabled assistance for wider accessibility.
- Real-Time Service Tracking: Citizens can track applications and receive regular updates without physically visiting government offices.
- Automatic Appeal Mechanism: Under ORTPSA, delayed applications are automatically escalated to higher authorities, ensuring accountability.
- Time-Bound Service Delivery: Every notified government service has fixed timelines along with designated responsible officers.
- Strong Accountability Measures: Officials may face penalties and disciplinary action for unnecessary delays or non-compliance.
- Technology-Driven Governance: Digital integration and automation are enhancing efficiency, transparency, and ease of governance.
- A Scalable Governance Model: The integration of ORTPSA and “Ama Sathi” was highlighted as an innovative and scalable governance model for India.
Impact & Outcome
Around 25 attendees participated in the orientation programme. It concluded with an engaging interactive session where participants discussed the significance of technology-enabled governance and efficient public service delivery. The event successfully highlighted the role of digital innovation in creating a more transparent, accountable, accessible, and citizen-friendly administrative framework in Odisha. Overall, the orientation programme aimed to promote efficient, transparent, responsive, inclusive, and technology-driven governance for improving public service delivery across Odisha.