VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Monday directed officials to work toward achieving universal digital literacy across Andhra Pradesh, aiming to make the state fully digitally literate.
During a review meeting on public perception and Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) at the Secretariat, he emphasised leveraging WhatsApp Governance to simplify access to services and reduce the need for office visits.
Noting that people are not yet fully accustomed to WhatsApp Governance, Naidu instructed officials to raise awareness and tasked District Collectors with promoting its widespread use through secretaries and staff.
“People should know they can access services, lodge complaints, and make appeals via WhatsApp,” he said, announcing the introduction of a voice message feature for illiterate citizens.
He linked higher digital literacy to greater adoption of WhatsApp Governance.
Naidu also ordered the integration of QR codes for easier access and directed officials to expedite the data lake setup, ensuring interlinked data using global best practices.
IT and RTGS Secretary Bhasker Katamaneni reported that 200 services are currently available via WhatsApp, with 150 more to be added by the end of the month, targeting a total of 500 in the next phase.
The first phase of the data lake is set for completion by May, he informed Naidu.
Ministers and senior officials, including Chief Secretary K Vijayanand, attended the meeting.