Andhra Pradesh launches initiative for NRIs to help enhance e-governance with mobile apps

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched an IT initiative by a group of NRIs who help the state government in different areas through mobile apps and others. 'Code for AP' is a non-profit organisation in the US that is supporting Andhra Pradesh in various technology applications in e-governance, economic and social development.

Set up in July this year, the organisation has 100 volunteers working with 30 government departments by offering them technology-based solutions to streamline work. The Code for AP has worked on different projects for the state government. They include 'Central Fund Monitoring Portal', 'Mobile Device Management', 'Sentry Gate' and 'News Room'.

The Central Fund Monitoring Portal, a first of its kind application for a state government, enables each department to have a thorough understanding of any new scheme started by the Union government, officials said. By using the 'Mobile Device Management', government officials working on field activities are empowered with latest tablets and smart phones for data collection purposes.

The Sentry Gate Pass system is an advanced automation system that empowers the security department to allow access to any visitor to state Secretariat through a smart tab. News Room is a free Android application that lets the user access leading Indian newspapers in English and Telugu from anywhere in the world.

At the launch, Naidu said the state government would like the organisation to come up with innovative ideas for delivering citizen services. "During Pushkaram, our government has worked on getting crowd feedback through IVRS system. That worked well.We now want Code for AP to work on applications that will not only support the government, but also come up with innovative ideas for delivering citizen services," he said.

Noting that there are a large number of software professionals in the US from Andhra Pradesh, he said: "This shows how we have been able to create a good ecosystem for engineers from Telugu state. We will now create a better ecosystem in Andhra Pradesh to promote talent and innovation. I appreciate Code for AP for contributing to the state."

Some of the projects in pipeline are 'Dial an Expert', a concept where the gap between government officials and citizens is tried to be bridged, and 'Open Directory', a project to keep track of all government personnel with their contact details.

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