Karnataka to make all services available to citizens online under Sakala

The order issued on October 17 requires departments to reduce the time limits for Sakala services and issue certificates over the counter whenever possible. | Photo credit: File photo

The Karnataka government has issued guidelines to all ministries to make services more accessible, transparent and time-bound to citizens. The guidelines now require all services, including licenses and certificates, to be made available online and within Sakala.

An order issued by Harsh Gupta, principal secretary of the Praja Seva department on October 17, requires departments to reduce the time limits for Sakala services and issue certificates over the counter whenever possible. Online services should not be restricted to a particular jurisdictional officer if other officers of equivalent cadre can provide them.

Approved by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, the guidelines are based on the recommendations of the Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission-2 (KARC-2). The government said the measures could be implemented immediately without major financial or political repercussions.

Sakala website. Photo:

Facilities for citizens

Government offices must provide seating and drinking water for visitors and introduce token systems for those meeting officials whenever possible. Citizens who must attend verifications or inquiries must be notified of their appointment dates in advance.

Departments must offer multi-year renewal options for certificates renewed only upon payment of a fee. Approved beneficiaries cannot be excluded from schemes without prior notice and an opportunity to be heard. Property inspections must be conducted through online applications, preferably mobile applications, and if possible based on objective criteria.

Online services and digital records

Aadhaar must be the default authentication option for online services, with alternatives such as mobile authentication where Aadhaar cannot be mandated. Departments must link their systems to relevant databases to verify information online and store state-issued certificates and licenses in DigiLocker. The relevant fields in Kutumba must be updated in real time so that citizens do not have to submit documents already held by the government.

Online application must support PDF upload in OCR format, digital signatures of officials and e-Hastakshar for applicants. Certificates and licenses must conform to standard templates prescribed by the Electronics Delivery of Citizen Services (EDCS), must include the government logo and contain QR codes.

The department must address server instability, provide dashboard reporting on outages, and ensure websites and applications meet National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment standards.

Digital payments and updates

Application fees must be payable online including through UPI and manual collection should be stopped if possible. Fees collected for rejected applications must be refunded automatically.

Citizens must receive regular updates on the status of applications through SMS and WhatsApp and be able to track applications online. Portals should provide personal login profiles or integrated authentication to help users track previous applications.

Physical documents must be sent through a centralized mail system with download options available online or at citizen kiosks. All formats available in English only must be provided in Kannada as well. Departments must prepare short videos explaining their services and upload them to social media.

The order also directs departments to prepare job manuals for officers and review employee transfers before creating jobs or hiring for vacancies.

Departments must submit compliance reports to the Praja Seva Department. The implementation will be reviewed at the monthly meeting of the Karnataka Development Program chaired by the Chief Secretary, the order said.

Published – 18 Oct 2026 13:07 IST