HYDERABAD: In a step towards digital governance, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is preparing to launch an Artificial Intelligence-based solution - a Chatbot to offer services and information to citizens, guide citizens through a wide range of civic services.
The proposed GHMC chatbot’s objective is to reduce citizens’ physical visits to municipal offices and enhance transparency.
As part of its new-year citizen-centric initiatives, GHMC is leveraging modern technology to improve service delivery and enhance revenue, while ensuring that services are accessible, transparent and user-friendly. The AI chatbot will be developed and hosted on the GHMC website under the label “May I Help You.”
The proposals have been submitted to the GHMC Standing Committee for inviting tenders for selection of service provider for implementation, operation and maintenance of AI-based solutions - AI Chatbot in GHMC website and automated form filling solution to GHMC for a period of three years.
According to GHMC officials, the corporation aims to make the chatbot available to the public soon as a new year gift. The chatbot would be designed to function as a virtual civic assistant that will address citizens’ queries and grievances without the need for physical visits to municipal offices.
Through a simple text-based interactions, residents will be able to access critical information related to taxes, licences, civic procedures, and public services.
Once launched, citizens can use the chatbot to apply for trade licenses, file property tax self-assessment, download/receive birth and death certificates, guiding applicants which application to submit for which service, get step-by-step guidance on filling forms.
The chatbot will not only answer questions, but will also listen to voice queries and guide applicants in real time.
As Hyderabad is known for linguistic diversity, GHMC’s chatbot will support Telugu, English and Urdu languages. Citizens can ask questions in any of these languages and receive responses in the same language, making the platform inclusive and easy to use for all sections of society.
For several GHMC services, citizens currently rely on agents and middlemen, often paying hefty amounts just to navigate application processes. Officials say the chatbot is aimed at eliminating this dependence. The solution will reduce errors while filling applications, prevent avoidable delays, guide citizens directly through official processes, stop exploitation by unauthorised agents.
With services becoming digital and self-guided, GHMC hopes to ensure that citizens need not visit offices repeatedly or depend on intermediaries.
Once the Standing Committee approves the proposal, GHMC will select qualified agencies through tendering for setting up the system and maintaining it for three years. The initiative represents another step toward smart governance, bringing municipal administration closer to residents, they added.