New Delhi, February 11 The Delhi government is studying models from various states, including Haryana, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh, to create a unified data hub for citizens in the city. This will streamline the delivery of various citizen-centric services and welfare schemes, officials said on Wednesday.
The government's Information Technology (IT) department is working to develop the data hub as a central repository to help the government implement its e-governance initiatives, they said.
Recently, teams from the department visited Haryana, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh to study their key initiatives in the field of e-governance.
For example, the Rajasthan government is developing a data-driven ecosystem for digital governance, focusing on the unification of various citizen-centric services.
"A key feature of the citizen data hub model is that it requires statutory arrangements due to data privacy concerns. Therefore, the government will need to develop some legislative instrument or other statutory arrangement to proceed with the project," a senior Delhi government official said.
In this context, the IT department is considering engaging a consultant to handle the legal aspects involved in the unified data hub, he added.
The unified data hub will serve as a central repository, eliminating the need for documentation when applying for various government services or welfare schemes, such as ration cards, driving licenses, and various social welfare pensions, among others, the officials said.
The data hub could also be used as a single source of truth for citizen data, weeding out ineligible beneficiaries of government schemes, they said.
The IT department is working with the data of beneficiaries of various welfare schemes, based on consolidated data from different departments involved in direct public interface through their services, the officials said.
The data hub will also prevent duplication, as the same beneficiaries will receive subsidized or free services and facilities provided by the government, a senior official said.
Furthermore, citizens will be able to apply for various services with less hassle, as they will not need to repeatedly provide their documents, they added.
The data hub will collect personal details of people, including their names, number of family members, profession, annual income, address, caste, age, educational qualifications, and gender, among others, they said.
This will help in processing the eligibility of applicants for various welfare schemes run by the Delhi government.
"Personal and household data of citizens will be collected from all departments like food and civil supplies, revenue, Delhi Jal Board, power, trade and taxes, and MCD," an official said.
Such comprehensive data integrated on a unified hub will create a single platform for cross-referencing and verification of applicants under various schemes, he added.