Goa government launches 8th citizen's service centre, unveils free WiFi hotspots at 10 locations

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday launched the 8th Citizen’s Service Centre (CSC) at Pernem in the presence of Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, ITE&C and Printing & Stationery, Dr. Chandrakant Shetye, Chairman, ITG, Praveen Arlekar, MLA Pernem and other dignitaries.

The new CSC will offer citizens a wide range of digital services, including residence certificates, utility bill payments and more. The inclusion of the 8th CSC at Pernem will further enhance the availability of G2B and G2C services for citizens. The CSC would offer more than 151 services in the days ahead.

Speaking at the programme, Chief Minister Sawant stated, “This would undoubtedly help to bridge the gap between the government and the citizens by providing accessible and reliable services. So far, more than 5.5 lakh services have been delivered to the public through this platform for 35 unique departmental services, including revenue services, registration/renewals services of the Labour Department, etc. and in the future many more useful services would be added.”

The Government of Goa is committed to expanding the Citizen Service Centre project further by setting up CSCs in the remaining four talukas, namely Dharbandora, Bicholim, Murmagoa, and Tiswadi. This step will help in reaching out to more people in these areas, ensuring that they have access to essential government services at their doorstep.

In addition to the new CSC, and in furtherance of the Azadi ka Amrit Mohatsav, the Department of ITE&C would create 75 Wi-Fi hotspots in villages. This will have a significant positive impact on the local communities. These hotspots shall enable access to information, education, and healthcare resources, as well as facilitate economic development by connecting locals to online marketplaces and e-commerce platforms.

As a part of this initiative, the government has also unveiled free WiFi hotspots in six constituencies covering 10 locations: 3 locations in Sanquelim (Community Health Center, Ravindra Bhavan, KTCL Bus Stand), 2 locations in Porvorim (Art Park & Joggers Park), 2 locations in Bicholim (Shivaji Putlo, Nr. Mamlatdar office & Latambercem Village Panchayat), 2 locations in Taleigo (Village Panchayat & Nr. Shankarwadi Temple) and 1 location in Benaulim (GTDC Residency, Colva). These hotspots will provide internet access to citizens at no cost and will be particularly beneficial for students, small businesses, and tourists visiting the state. The service will be expanded to all the constituencies at 65 more locations in the next few months.

Rohan Khaunte, the Minister of ITE&C, said the Government is confident that the launch of the new CSC at Pernem and the free WiFi hotspots will greatly benefit the people of Goa and contribute to the state’s development and encouraged citizens to take advantage of these services to build a more digitally inclusive and connected Goa.