Srinagar, June 23: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), Government of India, today organised the “Seva Se Samriddhi: Regional Workshop on Panchayat-led Service Delivery” at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. The workshop was inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha in the presence of Shri Javid Ahmad Dar, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, and other senior officials.

Organised in collaboration with the Common Services Centre Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC-SPV) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, the workshop brought together elected Panchayat representatives, functionaries, Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs), and senior officials from seven states—Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing the gathering, Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha said that Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have emerged as powerful instruments of grassroots development, citizen-centric governance, and inclusive growth. He highlighted the strengthening of PRIs in Jammu and Kashmir through effective devolution of Funds, Functions, and Functionaries, participatory planning, and enhanced empowerment of elected representatives.

Emphasising the transformative role of technology in governance, Shri Sinha noted that Jammu and Kashmir has made remarkable progress in digital service delivery under the administration’s “People First” approach. He said online public services have expanded from a few dozen in 2020 to over 1,100 services today, while more than 98 per cent of Panchayats are now digitally connected, improving transparency, accountability, efficiency, and last-mile service delivery.

He stated that good governance is reflected in the effective delivery of services and the responsiveness of institutions to citizens’ aspirations. Highlighting initiatives such as Back to Village and Block Diwas, he said these programmes have strengthened public participation, improved grievance redressal, and ensured that development priorities emerge from the grassroots level. He stressed the need for governance systems to continuously evolve and deepen trust between citizens and institutions.

Describing service delivery as the cornerstone of good governance, the Lieutenant Governor appreciated the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and 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, reflecting the growing importance of technology-enabled governance at the grassroots.

Shri Sinha further urged states to ensure greater participation of citizens, especially women, in local governance and advocated the establishment of Village Innovation Labs to promote locally driven solutions for community development and improved public service delivery.

Addressing the workshop, Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Shri Javid Ahmad Dar thanked the Ministry of Panchayati Raj for organising the event in the Union Territory. He highlighted the role of technology in strengthening Panchayat-led governance and service delivery, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to empowering local self-government institutions, and expressed confidence that the workshop would facilitate the exchange of best practices and advance the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj Shri Vivek Bharadwaj said that Panchayati Raj Institutions have emerged as digitally empowered centres of grassroots governance, with nearly 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats managing planning, implementation, financial management, and audits through the eGramSwaraj platform. He added that more than ₹3 lakh crore has been processed through the integration of eGramSwaraj and PFMS.

Highlighting the Ministry’s AI-powered platform SabhaSaar, he said it enables generation of Gram Sabha proceedings in 23 Indian languages and has already been adopted by around 1.5 lakh Panchayats. He further noted that Panchayati Raj initiatives secured three Gold and one Silver Award under the National Awards for e-Governance 2026, underscoring the growing role of technology in promoting transparent, accountable, and citizen-centric governance.

The workshop underscored the importance of inter-state learning, innovation, and collaboration in strengthening Panchayat-led service delivery and grassroots democracy. Participants highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance Panchayati Raj Institutions through improved infrastructure, digital governance tools, and knowledge-sharing mechanisms, expressing confidence that such initiatives will further strengthen citizen-centric service delivery at the grassroots level.

During the programme, top-performing Gram Panchayats and Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) were felicitated for their outstanding contribution to service delivery and digital governance. Pandithpora Gram Panchayat in Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir, and Hudikeri Gram Panchayat in Kodagu district, Karnataka, were recognised as top-performing Gram Panchayats. Outstanding VLEs from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand were also honoured for their contribution to last-mile digital service delivery.