Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday claimed that the real time governance system (RTGS) initiated by his government was transforming the lives of people across the state, delivering swift governance and ease of doing business, stating that technology must be used effectively to serve humanity.
Interacting with Microsoft founder and Gates Foundation chairman Bill Gates, who was on a one-day visit to the capital city of Amaravati, Naidu gave a detailed presentation on functioning of RTGS in rendering civic services by using data lake, besides his government’s initiatives like WhatsApp governance, Sanjeevani health project and Amaravati capital development.
An official statement from the chief minister’s office said Gates had expressed interest in the technological initiatives of the state government. It also said that Gates appreciated the RTGS initiative and asked for the methods being used in securing the land records of people, to which the chief minister said the government has been using blockchain technology and QR code to prevent tampering of data.
Recalling his first meeting with Bill Gates in 1997, Naidu said he had made a presentation of his vision for expansion of information technology in the state. “What began as a conversation about building a technology ecosystem back then has now evolved into a broader mission of using innovation to transform governance and improve lives at scale,” he said.
During Monday’s interaction, Naidu presented his vision for Swarna Andhra 2047. “Our ministers and secretaries also discussed our priority sectors and explored avenues for collaboration with the Gates Foundation to empower our people and enhance their quality of life,” the chief minister said.
The Sanjeevani health project in Kuppam constituency is being implemented with the support of the Gates Foundation. Naidu shared its current status and said that his government has adopted artificial intelligence to maintain the health records under the project. Gates suggested making diagnostic services for the poor at a lower price.
The Microsoft founder said Indians were ahead in the digital revolution and both the Prime Minister and chief minister were playing key roles in the digital revolution. He said that the Gates Foundation gave priority to the health sector and took up the majority of health projects.
“India is ahead in the digital revolution and both the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and Chief Minister (Naidu) are playing key roles in the digital revolution,” the statement quoted Gates as saying.
