Half of Goa takes online route for services, saves trips to government offices

An initiative by state IT Minister Rohan Khaunte, the e-governance portal ‘Goa Online’ was launched in 2017 when the late Manohar Parrikar was the chief minister. His successor Pramod Sawant is taking it forward.

Panaji: More than half of Goa’s population no longer needs to visit government offices for various works as the state continues to expand the user base of its e-governance portal ‘Goa Online’, officials have said.

Of the 16 lakh residents in the coastal state, about 8.6 lakh people are currently using the portal, offering 241 services, which ensures doorstep governance and improves transparency, they said.

An initiative by state IT Minister Rohan Khaunte, the portal was launched in 2017 when the late Manohar Parrikar was the chief minister. His successor Pramod Sawant is taking it forward, said the officials.

“Goa Online is a single-window system and single-window platform, where all the services of the G2B (government to business) and G2C (government to citizen) are catered,” said Sangita Shirodkar, manager (IT) of Goa Electronics Limited (GEL).

A subsidiary of the state government, GEL has developed the Goa Online portal, which began with 11 online services, and maintains it, she said.

The e-governance portal now has 241 services, including residence certificates, property-related documents and payment of water and electricity bills, offered by 41 state departments with a user base of 8.6 lakh, more than half of Goa’s population.

So far, 29 lakh applications have been processed through the portal.

The official said any person in India can apply for documents (related to Goa) online and submit applications through the portal.

“The application is directed to the department concerned which then processes it and responds. The status of the application is also informed to the applicant at regular intervals,” she said.

Neville Noronha, the officer on special duty to the tourism and IT minister, said ‘Goa Online’ was a part of the Centre’s e-district project in 2017.

“It was initiated by minister Rohan Khaunte along with the then CM Manohar Parrikar, who promoted this vision,” he said.

Noronha said the vision was that every Goan citizen should get services from the comfort of their home. The online service gained strength during the COVID-19 pandemic. The overwhelming response to this online platform has prompted the government to explore ways to add more services, he said.

The beneficiaries of this online platform are from urban and rural areas alike, he said.

According to Lawyer Manguirish Usgaonkar of Panaji, one-click deliveries available through Goa Online help not just people living in the coastal state but also those across the globe looking for services in Goa.

“There was a time when people would stand in long queues or take political or government servants’ influence to apply for a certificate. Now, the process has become hassle-free through the Goa Online portal. It’s a great initiative under ‘Digital India’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.

Dayesh Vengurlekar from St Cruz village near Panaji said that the e-governance platform has been a great help to people from rural areas as they now don’t have to travel to taluka or district headquarters to get government documents.

Ajit Vengurlekar, who lives under Merces panchayat in North Goa, called the portal a “good initiative” that saves time and money.

“This online service is very beneficial and is a relief for aged citizens that they don't have to visit government departments physically,” he added.