The Andhra Pradesh government will provide 500 services through WhatsApp by June 30, state IT and Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh announced on Tuesday.

The government is currently providing about 200 public services through Mana Mitra launched in January.

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During the short discussion in the state Assembly on WhatsApp governance, Nara Lokesh said that in another 100 days, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled services and QR code will be introduced.

With the introduction of the QR code, there will be no possibility for tampering with any kind of documents or certificates, he said. Necessary legal amendments will be made in the next Assembly session.

Lokesh, who also holds the Real Time Governance portfolio, said a decision will be taken within a month on bringing the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) service under Mana Mitra services as suggested by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

He asserted that the Chief Minister’s objective is to make Andhra Pradesh number one in all sectors. He expressed confidence that WhatsApp governance is going to be a key reform in politics in the coming days.

He recalled how the N.T. Rama Rao, immediately after becoming Chief Minister in 1983 had taken the administration to the people by doing away with patel-patwari system. Later, his successor Chandrababu Naidu, who got inspired with the Citizen Service Centre in Singapore, launched the e-seva services. It started with paying the electricity bills but later extended to different kinds of services.

Lokesh said e-seva has now changed into Mee-Seva. Chandrababu Naidu has been repeatedly saying that the administration should be taken to people. “I learnt technology through my MBA from Stanford University while I learnt public issues directly during my padayatra.”

“When I met the people in every village they complained that they had to queue up before the government offices for days together. In fact, they have asked me as to why government services are not available like cinema tickets, Swiggy food, essentials and taxies which are simply available by switching a button,” Lokesh said.

The minister said people also complained that they also have to pay money in the government offices.

Maintaining that services from the government should be extended to all like quality education is being provided to the rich and the poor in an equal manner, Lokesh said that he has conducted a thorough study into good governance. “My wish is that administration should be in the hands of the people through the visible governance-invisible government slogan. Also, my goal is that there should be no need for officers and politicians in their daily lives,” he added.