AP needs digitally empowered urban governance: Principal Secy
Vijayawada: S Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary, Department of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, on Tuesday pointed out that Andhra Pradesh was witnessing rapid urban expansion, with nearly 40- 45 per cent of its population now living in urban areas.
This demographic transformation calls for a paradigm shift - from traditional administrative models to agile, digitally empowered urban governance, said Suresh Kumar. He was the chief guest at the State-level workshop conducted at the School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada on Tuesday.
The State government in collaboration with the Capacity Building Commission (CBC), Government of India, organised a State-level orientation workshop on 'Capacity Building for ULB Officials' under the Mission Karmayogi framework. The event marks the beginning of a transformative capacity-building journey for urban administration in the State.
The workshop brought together Municipal Commissioners of 123 ULBs and key State urban departments, including MEPMA, Public Health and Municipal Engineering, and Town and Country Planning. The sessions focused on bridging skills gaps, integrating digital learning and fostering a culture of continuous professional development.
Suresh Kumar said 'Under the Mission Karmayogi' framework, the State is initiating comprehensive gap assessments to evaluate existing capacities within ULBs and identify key functional, domain and behavioral competencies required at various roles.
Based on these findings, minimum annual training hours will be prescribed for municipal officials.
Further, training will not be limited to technical domains. The State is promoting holistic development, with certificate courses offered in areas such as leadership, communication, ethics, digital literacy and even personality development - ensuring that public servants are equipped not just with professional skills, but with the confidence and emotional intelligence needed to engage meaningfully with citizens.
He informed that to encourage active participation, a framework for non-monetary incentives linked to training milestones is under consideration. These may include certificates of recognition, preference in transfers / internal postings, visibility in performance appraisals and access to advanced learning programmes. The intent is to create a culture where learning is rewarded and professional growth is seen as integral to public service.
A key highlight of the workshop was the demonstration of the iGOT Karmayogi platform, the digital hub of Mission Karmayogi. With over 8 lakh government officials already onboard nationwide, the platform offers role-based, modular learning content tailored for ULB functionaries. Courses range from municipal finance and e-governance to urban resilience, inclusive planning and citizen engagement.
The workshop saw participation from several senior dignitaries from the Government of India and domain experts, including: Dr Alka Mittal, Member (Admin.), Capacity Building Commission, V Lalithalakshmi, Secretary, CBC and CEO, Karmayogi Bharat, Shubham Katyayan, Programme Manager – ULBs, CBC, Soumi Banerjee, General Manager, iGOTKarmayogi Bharat and others. They shared insights on the role of continuous learning in transforming governance and the strategic utility of role-based skilling.
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