Maharashtra Cabinet Approves New Data Policy for Enhanced Services

Mumbai, Feb 25 (NationPress) The Maharashtra Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has officially endorsed a new state Data Policy aimed at effectively utilizing the data amassed by various government departments in a transparent manner during the rollout of initiatives and projects. A State Data Authority is to be set up under the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA).

The policy aims to reduce data duplication, enhance interoperability among departments, and establish governance frameworks to add value to data services. This will facilitate seamless integration of datasets across departments, promote comprehensive data analytics, lower costs, and ensure accessible data for the public.

The government anticipates that this policy will act as a foundation for generating high-quality governance indicators, ultimately enhancing the quality of governance throughout the state’s districts in terms of public service delivery, implementation of government schemes, transparency, and administrative efficiency.

As per the government announcement, this policy will encompass all data and information generated, created, or obtained by the state government directly or through authorized agencies from various departments, organizations, and agencies. It will also cover data from private entities that have a legal obligation to share or provide information.

The initiative aims to fully harness the potential of data primarily to execute administrative processes with greater effectiveness and transparency. It also guarantees consistency in data usage and sharing among diverse departments.

“High-quality data will enhance usability and facilitate data-driven decision-making by the government, as well as for external data users. Hence, every department must ensure that each database and its catalog and metadata are prepared and submitted in a standardized format for the Catalogues and Resources Datasets,” the policy states.

A Governing Committee led by the chief secretary will function as the principal authority, responsible for policy oversight and governmental decisions.

This policy has established uniformity in information usage and simplified data sharing across various departments for public access. This change will alleviate the workload of civil service employees, anganwadi workers, and agricultural assistants in rural areas, who previously collected statistical data manually. Information will now be gathered digitally through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system and Aadhaar-linked programs.

The implementation of the data policy will align with the MahaSTRIDE program, launched with support from the World Bank. This initiative aims to bolster institutional capacities in districts to foster growth. The objective of MahaSTRIDE is to enhance institutional capabilities, services, and the data ecosystem to support inclusive economic advancement in districts.