TRANSFORMATI MAHARASHTRA CAN

#1 IN 2024, MAHARASHTRA IS AGAIN WITHIN

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For decades, citizens interacting with the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) in Mumbai faced familiar challenges— long queues, repeated visits, missing files and uncertainty about the status of their applications.

Each process, from rent verification to tenement transfer, demanded physical presence and patience. The system worked, but it was slow, opaque and heavily dependent on manual workflows.

In 2024, the SRA undertook a complete digital overhaul under its initiative titled Citizen-Centric Digital Services. The objective was simple yet profound: to transform how citizens access housing-related services by making them transparent, efficient, inclusive and available anytime, anywhere.

The journey began by addressing the core pain points that affected both citizens and administrators. Manual processes required citizens to visit offices repeatedly, leading to delays and frustration. Transparency was limited in areas such as rent payments, tenement transfers and allotments. Persons with disabilities and senior citizens struggled to access services. Communication between citizens and officials was fragmented and administrative staff were overburdened with routine manual work.

To ensure that citizens from all backgrounds—especially those from marginalised and vulnerable communities—could easily access essential housing services, SRA decided to adopt a digital-first approach. The focus was on inclusivity, transparency and efficiency.

The transformation was carefully structured over multiple phases.

In Q2 of 2024, SRA conducted extensive consultations with stakeholders to identify gaps and design solutions that directly addressed citizen needs. By Q3, the Authority had conceptualised a robust IT architecture that would make services accessible through multiple platforms, including a mobile app, a web portal and a WhatsApp-based interface to cater to users with varying levels of digital literacy.