Odisha Orders End-to-End Digital Delivery for 451 Public Services

14 Aug 2026, 09:43 by Vinay Kakkad · KalingaTV

Odisha has ordered departments to remove manual handling from notified online public services, with the state government directing that applications under the Odisha Right to Public Services Act, 2012 (ORTPSA) should be processed and delivered digitally from start to finish.

The move comes as the government seeks to address a gap in existing e-governance systems: citizens can often submit applications online but are still required to visit government offices or interact directly with officials during processing, approval or final issuance. Such interventions have weakened the intended gains in transparency, accountability, efficiency and timely delivery.

Principal Secretary of the General Administration Department Suresh Kumar Vashishth has drawn the attention of department heads to these shortcomings. Under the new directive, an online service is expected to remain digital and faceless throughout its entire lifecycle, beginning with submission and ending with delivery. He has given 15 days to submit action-taken reports on the directive, placing the exercise in the category of extremely urgent and accorded it the highest priority.

Physical interaction will be permitted only where it is specifically required under law, rules or government orders. These exceptions include situations involving physical verification, biometric authentication, inspection or mandatory personal presence.

The scale of the exercise is significant. Odisha currently has 451 services notified under ORTPSA, of which 352 are already available online. Departments have been asked to redesign, upgrade or reconfigure their systems so that the services function through uninterrupted digital workflows rather than shifting back to manual processes at crucial stages.

The proposed workflow covers online submission, system-generated acknowledgements, digital scrutiny and approvals, generation of certificates electronically and online delivery. Applicants are also to receive automated status information through SMS, email and WhatsApp. Secure transmission of information and comprehensive digital record-keeping are part of the required architecture.

The government also wants these services connected to the Central Monitoring System (CMS) dashboard operated by the Centre for Modernising Government Initiative (CMGI), as well as the “Aama Sathi” WhatsApp bot. The integration is intended to give authorities real-time visibility over service delivery, help manage backlogs and improve monitoring of performance.

The push towards end-to-end digital processing also addresses administrative weaknesses created by incomplete digital workflows. According to the government, manual stages have limited real-time oversight, automated escalation mechanisms, data analysis and auditability, while also complicating the wider implementation of digital governance measures.

The government expects the shift to reduce the need for citizens to make repeated visits to offices and limit opportunities for rent-seeking. It is also intended to move Odisha towards an administration in which public services can be accessed and completed with minimal human intervention, while retaining physical processes only where they are legally or administratively necessary.