NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, OCT 8
The Gujarat government on Thursday launched the first phase of “Digital Seva Setu” programme, under which 2,792 village panchayats have been connected with optical fibre network to provide public welfare services online.
ડિજિટલ સેવા સેતુના માધ્યમથી ગુજરાતના વહીવટી ક્ષેત્રમાં ઐતિહાસિક ક્રાંતિ સર્જાશે.#DigitalSevaSetu#DigitalGujarat pic.twitter.com/h9kfO841KK
— Vijay Rupani (Modi Ka Parivar) (@vijayrupanibjp) October 8, 2020
While launching the initiative through video conferencing from Gandhinagar, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the programme, under the Centre”s BharatNet project, will reduce hardships faced by villagers.
As per a government release, under this initiative, 27 different government services and welfare schemes will be available at panchayat offices and villagers won’t have to go to taluka or district-level offices to procure forms, certificates and documents.
CM Shri @vijayrupanibjp gives nod to Surat Development Plan-2035 covering @MySuratMySMC and Surat Urban Devl Authority area spread across 1085 Sq Km that will open new avenues for development of 850 hectares land of the #SmartCity which was under reservation for last 30 years. pic.twitter.com/6Xa9uwcoN8
— CMO Gujarat (@CMOGuj) October 8, 2020
These services include ration cards, affidavits and certificates for widows, residence, caste, senior citizen, language-based minority, religious minority and income certificates, it was stated.
Talatis or revenue officers have been authorised to provide affidavits at the village level so that beneficiaries don’t have to visit notary offices in towns and cities, the chief minister said.
Apart from reducing hardships of villagers, the initiative will also eliminate middlemen from the system, the release stated.
The move will change the administration’s work culture and reduce crowding at government offices, besides helping save villagers’ time and money by providing various services at their doorstep, Rupani said.
By December this year, the state government aims to cover another 8,000 villages and all 14,000-odd village panchayats by 2021, he said.
