Punjab to launch Unified Citizen Portal to provide access to various govt services

Chandigarh: In a major stride towards creating a digitally empowered, transparent and corruption-free state, the Punjab will become a first state to launch a Unified Citizen Portal— a single-window platform that will provide seamless access to a wide range of government services across various departments, announced Aman Arora, Minister of Good Governance and Information Technology (GGIT), Punjab here on Friday.

While addressing a press conference here at Punjab Bhawan, Aman Arora informed that Department of Good Governance and Information Technology (DGGIT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth Rs 13 crore with E-connect solutions Pvt Ltd for the comprehensive designing, developing, implementing and maintaining the new Citizen Portal.

He further informed that the portal would be launched within six months to ensure maximum accessibility, efficiency and accountability in the delivery of government services. The Citizen Portal will be accessible via web, mobile App, ‘Sewa Kendras’ and WhatsApp to bring governance to citizens’ fingertips.

Arora stated that the new Citizen Portal will be a single, unified digital gateway for all government services, catering to citizens’ needs throughout their lifecycle. A key feature is the auto-fetching of documents, eliminating the need for repeated submissions of documents. Once a citizen uploads documents for any kind of service, they will be automatically retrieved for future applications. This will streamline services and enhance citizen experience.

The Good Governance & IT minister said that the integrated Citizen Portal would offer a one-stop solution for all government services, eliminating the need to visit multiple websites. With AI-driven workflow engines, it will ensure faster decision-making and reduced service delivery timelines to make governance more citizen-centric.