Srinagar, Jun 23 (KNS): Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday asserted that Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a “historic transformation” in grassroots governance, with the Union Territory emerging as a national leader in e-service delivery under the ‘People First’ approach of the Modi government.
Addressing the ‘Seva Se Samriddhi- Panchayat-led Service Delivery’ regional workshop organised by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the J&K Administration here, Sinha said the three-tier Panchayati Raj system has driven an “inclusive development revolution” in the UT.
“In 2020, we set out to build a J&K where government reaches the citizen’s doorstep. With a ‘People First’ approach, we revolutionised public service delivery. From just 35 online services in 2020 to more than 1,100 by 2023, the UT topped the national e-service delivery rankings,” Sinha said.
He said Panchayati Raj institutions have been made the “strongest voice and largest participants in governance” through initiatives like ‘Block Diwas’ and ‘Back to Village’ campaigns, ensuring services reach doorsteps and policies flow from the grassroots up.
“By ensuring accountability and citizen participation, we have translated a commitment to multi-generational change into reality within three years and rebuilt a powerful relationship of trust with citizens,” the Lt Governor added.
Sinha urged participants from Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to study J&K’s grassroots service delivery models, including BEAMS-EMPOWERMENT, Aapki Zameen-Aapki Nigrani and “Your Mobile – Our Office” – initiatives that have transformed program implementation in villages.
Citing government data, he noted that while J&K recorded 20 million digital transactions over three years between 2016 and 2018, the UT logged 50 crore digital transactions in just the first six months of 2023 alone, surpassing larger states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala.
The Lt Governor said over 15,000 Common Service Centre (CSC) outlets are operational in J&K today, with 4,211 of 4,290 panchayats – representing 98.16 percent coverage – connected to the network, barring 79 panchayats in remote border areas where connectivity remains a challenge.
He made five key recommendations for strengthening grassroots service delivery nationwide, including establishing “Village Innovation Labs” in every panchayat, modern capacity-building programmes, institutionalising participatory budgeting – a J&K initiative launched in 2021 – mainstreaming sustainable development models, and prioritising women’s leadership across all schemes.
“I am confident these qualities together will build local governance rooted in collaboration, participation, and a spirit of change. Our objective must be clear: to develop panchayats where every citizen can access services digitally, grievances are resolved quickly, decisions are taken collectively, and accountability is systemic,” Sinha said.
The workshop, held in collaboration with the CSC-SPV, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and J&K’s Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, felicitated Panditpora Gram Panchayat from Kupwara and CSC Village Level Entrepreneur Syed Waris Hafiz from Budgam, along with outstanding panchayats and CSCs from participating states.
J&K Rural Development Minister Javid Ahmad Dar, Union Panchayati Raj Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj, and other senior officials attended the inaugural session. Deliberations focused on strengthening last-mile service delivery through digital transformation, citizen participation, and inter-state knowledge exchange, officials said.(KNS)
