Bhubaneswar: In a step toward citizen-centric governance, the Odisha government, in partnership with Meta, Friday launched ‘Ama Sathi’, a WhatsApp chatbot providing access to more than 120 citizen services for residents across the state.
Odisha became the second state in India, after Andhra Pradesh, to adopt this initiative.
Unveiled in the presence of Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, the initiative aims to provide convenient, last-mile access to essential public services. Through the chatbot, citizens can access key services including birth and income certificates, driving and fertiliser licenses, and incentive schemes like the National Family Benefit Scheme, all via a single WhatsApp number (9437292000), a source said.
Available in Odia and English, the chatbot supports both text and voice interactions, serving as a one-stop digital assistant. Citizens can also raise and track grievances, access housing and urban development services, and interact with general administration, education, agriculture, and horticulture departments, the source added.
Farmers and students can get timely information and support, while citizens can also connect with police services and check land records and revenue details. Alongside ‘Ama Sathi’, a dashboard of the Odisha Right to Public Services Act’s Central Monitoring System (CMS) was launched to ensure accountability and timely service delivery, the source informed.
The chatbot has been developed by the Centre for Modernising Government Initiative (CMGI) in collaboration with Meta India.
“The government of Odisha is committed to delivering seamless public services, ensuring convenience and efficiency for every citizen. With ‘Ama Sathi’, we are transforming governance to be truly citizen-centric, simplifying processes and empowering citizens from urban centers to the remotest corners of the state,” Ahuja said.
Development Commissioner Anu Garg emphasised that the initiative will bring governance to the doorsteps of citizens, ensuring accountability through the CMS dashboard.
Additional Chief Secretary Surendra Kumar highlighted the role of technology in simplifying governance and said awareness campaigns will be conducted across the state through bus branding, hoardings, TV, radio, and information boards.
Vineet Bharadwaj, executive director of CMGI, noted that public services in Odisha currently require visiting offices, using web portals or apps, or visiting Common Service Centers. He added that ‘Ama Sathi’ will make service delivery user-friendly and accessible via a single WhatsApp number, with plans to provide all public services through WhatsApp by March 2026.
Arun Srinivas, managing director and country head of Meta India, said, “We are proud to partner with Odisha to launch ‘Ama Sathi’, enabling millions of citizens to access government services conveniently via WhatsApp.”
UNI
