The Office of the Engineer-in-Chief, Rural Works, Odisha, has formally proposed the procurement of premium digital and artificial intelligence (AI) services—including Google One, Google AI Pro, and ChatGPT Plus—to enhance office workflow, project monitoring, and data management.
In a letter addressed to the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Rural Development Department, the Engineer-in-Chief requested administrative approval and financial sanction for the subscriptions, citing the department’s growing digital requirements under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
The proposal highlights the sharp increase in digital data generated through road alignment maps, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), project photographs, and financial records. With the existing free cloud storage limit of 15 GB proving inadequate, the department argues that expanded storage and advanced collaboration tools are essential to avoid operational bottlenecks.
The letter also points to the rising reliance on virtual meetings for project reviews, noting that sessions chaired by senior engineers often exceed the limitations of free video conferencing platforms in terms of duration and participant capacity.
By subscribing to Google One for cloud storage, Google AI Pro and ChatGPT Plus for AI-assisted office work, and enhanced conferencing tools, the department aims to strengthen real-time project monitoring, streamline decision-making, and integrate AI into daily operations.
