Delhi govt studies Haryana, Andhra, Rajasthan models for upcoming data hub

New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) The Delhi government is studying models of various states, including Haryana, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, to develop a unified data hub of people in the city to streamline delivery of different citizen-centric services and welfare schemes, officials said on Wednesday.

The information and technology (IT) department of the government is working to develop the data hub as a central repository to help the government implement its e-governance interventions, they said.

Recently, teams of the department visited Haryana, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh to study their key initiatives in the e-governance field.

The Rajasthan government, for instance, is developing a data-driven ecosystem for digital governance, focusing on unification of various citizen-centric services.

"A key feature of the citizen data hub model is that it requires statutory arrangements owing to data privacy issues. So, the government will have to come up with some legislative instrument or any other statutory arrangement to go ahead with the project," a senior Delhi government official said.

In view of this, the IT department is considering engaging a consultant to go ahead with fulfilling the legal aspects involved in the unified data hub, he said.

The unified data hub will serve as a central repository, ending the need for documentation for availing various government services or applying for any welfare schemes, such as ration card, driving licence, 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 the ineligible beneficiaries of government schemes, they said.

The IT department is working on the data of the beneficiaries of various welfare schemes, based on consolidated data from different departments involved in direct public interface by way of their services, the officials said.

The data hub will also prevent duplication with the same beneficiaries receiving subsidised or free services and facilities provided by the government, a senior official said.

Also, citizens would be able to apply for various services with less hassle since they would not need to furnish their documents again and again, they added.

The data hub will collate personal details of people, including their names, number of family members, profession, annual income, address, caste, age, educational qualification and gender, among others, they said.

It will help process the eligibility of the 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 exhaustive data integrated on a unified hub will create a single platform for cross-referencing and verification of the applicants under various schemes, he added. PTI VIT ARI ARI