**IT Minister Ashish Shelar Announces Crackdown on Irregularities Among IT Consultants in Mantralaya**
In an effort to curb irregularities, Information Technology (IT) Minister Ashish Shelar has announced a stringent crackdown on IT consultants working for private firms contracted by state departments in Mantralaya.
**246 Consultants Under Review**
During a review meeting held on Wednesday, Minister Shelar was informed that 246 consultants employed by six IT companies are currently working on a contract basis across various state departments. Disturbingly, some consultants were found drawing salaries from multiple departments simultaneously without proper oversight.
**Portal to Ensure Transparency and Accountability**
To enhance accountability, Shelar has directed officials to develop an online portal listing all IT companies empanelled with the state government. These firms will be required to submit detailed employee data and other relevant information to effectively track appointments and payments.
Describing the existing system as a “loot” in the name of consultancy, Shelar highlighted the IT department’s lack of clarity regarding which consultants are deployed, their roles, and their remuneration. In several cases, consultants were found earning four to five times more by drawing payments from multiple departments, leading to significant losses for the state exchequer.
**Senior Officials Present at the Review**
The review meeting saw the presence of key officials, including Principal Secretary (IT) Parag Jain Nainutia, MahaIT Director Sanjay Katkar, and other senior department representatives.
**State Collects 15 Crore Data Records Under Golden Data Maha-Samanvay Project**
In the same meeting, Minister Shelar reviewed the progress of the Golden Data Maha-Samanvay project, which has successfully collected around 15 crore data records to date. Of these, 5 to 6 crore records have been verified, with 144 attributes fully completed.
**1,000 Citizen Services to Be Available on WhatsApp**
Taking a step forward in digital governance, Shelar announced that citizen services will soon be made accessible via WhatsApp through an agreement with Meta. The first 100 services are currently being provided through an appointed vendor. The system’s capacity to handle over 1,000 sessions per second will be thoroughly evaluated.
Following the directives of the Chief Minister, the goal is to expand the service availability to 1,000 citizen services via WhatsApp. Upon completion of the initial rollout, a new vendor will be selected through a revised Request for Proposal (RFP) process to ensure fast and efficient service delivery with minimal delays.
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This initiative marks a significant move toward transparency, digital inclusion, and efficient service delivery for citizens across the state.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/maharashtra-news-ashish-shelar-orders-crackdown-on-irregularities-in-it-consultancy-at-mantralaya
