Vijayawada: In a first of its kind in the country, the Andhra Pradesh government launched ‘Mana Mitra’, a WhatsApp-based governance service, on Thursday. Information and Technology Minister Nara Lokesh unveiled the initiative at his residence in Undavalli. The government has designated the number 95523 00009 as the official WhatsApp number to deliver services to the citizens of the state.
The initiative aims to provide essential information, take feedback from the public, and streamline citizen services. Nara Lokesh called WhatsApp governance a milestone in the “Naidu 2.0” governance model. With this new service, citizens will no longer have to visit government offices to obtain certificates. In the first phase, a total of 161 services across various departments, including Endowments, Energy, APSRTC, Revenue, and Municipal Services, will be available.
In the second phase, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) darshan tickets will also be accessible through the platform. About 80 percent of services are expected to be made available through Mana Mitra.