In a move to curb irregularities, Information Technology (IT) Minister Ashish Shelar announced a crackdown on IT consultants working for private firms contracted by state departments in Mantralaya.
246 Consultants Under Review
During a review meeting on Wednesday, Shelar learned that 246 consultants, employed by six IT companies, are working on a contract basis across various departments. Some consultants were found drawing salaries from multiple departments simultaneously, without proper oversight.
Portal to Ensure Transparency
To enhance accountability, Shelar directed officials to create a portal for all IT companies empanelled with the state government. These firms will be required to submit employee data and other details to track appointments and payments.
Describing the current system as “loot” in the name of consultancy, Shelar highlighted that the IT department often lacks clarity on which consultants are deployed, their roles, and their pay. In several cases, consultants were found earning four to five times more by drawing remuneration from multiple departments, causing losses to the state exchequer.
Senior Officials Present at Review
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary (IT) Parag Jain Nainutia, MahaIT Director Sanjay Katkar, and other senior officials.
State Collects 15 Crore Data Records
In the same meeting, Shelar also reviewed the Golden Data Maha-Samanvay project, which has collected around 15 crore data records so far. Of these, 5–6 crore have been verified and 144 attributes completed.
1,000 Citizen Services to Go Live on WhatsApp
Shelar further announced that citizen services will soon be accessible via WhatsApp under an agreement with Meta. The first 100 services are being provided through an appointed vendor, but the system’s capacity to handle over 1,000 sessions per second will be evaluated.
As per Chief Minister’s directives, the goal is to expand to 1,000 services via WhatsApp. Once the initial rollout is complete, a new vendor will be selected through a revised RFP to ensure swift and efficient service delivery with minimal delays.
