CM Fadnavis directs departments to simplify governance processes

Mumbai, May 25 (IANS) In a major push towards making governance more accessible, swift and citizen-centric, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday directed all state departments to expedite the Government Process Re-engineering (GPR) initiative.

He emphasised the urgent need to review existing government services and schemes to eliminate redundant steps, unnecessary documentation and bureaucratic delays.

The directives were issued during a high-level review meeting of the Governance Process Re-engineering phase.

Reviewing the progress of the GPR framework, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the state government had shifted its focus from merely increasing the number of services to enhancing their core quality.

“So far, 1,222 services have been reviewed, out of which 723 highly impactful, citizen-centric services have been redesigned. Once full integration is achieved in the next phase, multiple services will merge, reducing this number further and making governance seamless,” he added.

To ensure transparency and speed, the Chief Minister directed officials to accelerate the service restructuring process under the ‘Aaple Sarkar 2.0’ initiative.

He set a firm deadline of August 14, 2026, to complete the simplification process, intending to roll out these reformed, user-friendly digital services to citizens on Independence Day, August 15, 2026.

The Chief Minister noted that over the years, layers of bureaucratic procedures had accumulated, creating unnecessary bottlenecks.

He said restructuring these through GPR would not only benefit citizens but also drastically improve administrative efficiency.

Reflecting on past reforms, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis highlighted how the introduction of ‘self-certification’ successfully eliminated the need for redundant affidavits and official stamps, saving citizens’ time while promoting direct accountability.

He instructed all department heads to personally monitor the workflow, audit existing procedures and remove unnecessary steps to accelerate public service delivery.

“Once the service modules of ‘Aaple Sarkar 2.0’ are fully operational, it will fundamentally transform the public’s perception of government functioning,” the Chief Minister said.

During the review, the Chief Minister lauded the Revenue Department for leading the way in simplifying its public services.

Since the Revenue Department interacts directly with the masses, its transformation represents nearly 40 per cent to 50 per cent of the government’s overall reform goals, he mentioned.

The Chief Minister ordered a renewed focus on local self-government bodies.

While various pilot projects are underway at the local level, he stressed the urgent need to develop a uniform, robust and capable digital infrastructure for all municipal and local bodies.

To ensure citizens are well-informed about government welfare schemes and positive governance initiatives, the Chief Minister advocated the strategic use of hyper-local digital platforms.

He instructed every department to formulate a structured, independent policy to utilise these digital mediums effectively.

--IANS

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