Seven States, 2.5 Lakh Panchayats and ₹3 Lakh Crore Transactions in Focus at Srinagar Meet

Top-Performing Gram Panchayats, VLEs Honoured; Delegates From Seven States Participate

Srinagar, June 23: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday inaugurated the Seva Se Samriddhi: Regional Workshop on Panchayat-led Service Delivery at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), saying Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have emerged as powerful instruments of grassroots development, citizen-centric governance and inclusive growth.

The workshop, organised by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) in collaboration with the Common Services Centre Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC-SPV), the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department of Jammu and Kashmir, brought together elected Panchayat representatives, Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs), officials and stakeholders from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Javid Ahmad Dar, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Vivek Bharadwaj, and senior officials attended the inaugural session.

Addressing the gathering, the Lieutenant Governor said Jammu and Kashmir has strengthened Panchayati Raj Institutions through effective devolution of funds, functions and functionaries, participatory planning and greater empowerment of elected representatives.

Highlighting the role of technology in governance, Sinha said the Union Territory has expanded online public services from only a few dozen in 2020 to more than 1,100 services at present, while over 98 per cent of Panchayats are now digitally connected, enhancing transparency, accountability and last-mile service delivery.

He said initiatives such as Back to Village and Block Diwas have improved public participation, strengthened grievance redressal mechanisms and ensured that development priorities emerge from the grassroots. He also called for greater participation of women in local governance and advocated the establishment of Village Innovation Labs to encourage locally driven solutions for community development.

Sinha appreciated the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) for introducing a dedicated Gram Panchayat category under the National Awards for e-Governance from 2025. He also lauded the Ministry for securing four National Awards for e-Governance this year for Panchayati Raj initiatives.

Speaking on the occasion, Javid Ahmad Dar thanked the Ministry of Panchayati Raj for organising the event in Jammu and Kashmir and reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening local self-government institutions. He expressed confidence that the workshop would facilitate the exchange of best practices and contribute towards the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Vivek Bharadwaj said nearly 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across the country are using the eGramSwaraj platform for planning, implementation, financial management and audits, with over ₹3 lakh crore processed through its integration with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS).

He also highlighted the Ministry’s artificial intelligence-powered platform SabhaSaar, which generates Gram Sabha proceedings in 23 Indian languages and has been adopted by nearly 1.5 lakh Panchayats. Bharadwaj said Panchayati Raj initiatives won three Gold and one Silver Award at the National Awards for e-Governance 2026, reflecting the growing role of technology in promoting transparent and citizen-centric governance.

During the programme, Pandithpora Gram Panchayat in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir and Hudikeri Gram Panchayat in Kodagu district of Karnataka were felicitated as top-performing Gram Panchayats for excellence in service delivery. Outstanding Village Level Entrepreneurs from the seven participating states were also honoured for their contribution towards strengthening digital governance and last-mile delivery of public services.