The Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) launched the monthly National e-Governance Webinar Series (NeGW 2023-24) on September 22, 2023, to disseminate and replicate India’s award-winning e-governance initiatives. NeGW 2023-24 is held monthly, on the third Friday of each month.

The Special Session of National e-Governance Webinar, under the theme “Citizen Centric Services provided by Panchayati Raj Institutions” was held.

The webinar was led by Shri V. Srinivas, Secretary, DARPGand ShriVivek Bhardwaj, Secretary, MoPR. The webinar began with a welcome address by the Secretary, DARPG. Subsequently, the Secretary, MoPR set the context for the discussion.

Following this, Shri Alok Prem Nagar, Joint Secretary of MoPR, made a comprehensive presentation on behalf of the department. He presented an overview of the Ministry's mandate to strengthen government systems through programmatic support across key initiatives such as RGSA, PDI, e-Gram SWARAJ, and the Citizen Charter Campaign, highlighting Gram Panchayats (GPs) as the drivers of rural transformation. The presentation emphasized the Mysuru Declaration's commitment to delivering core services through Panchayats, including issuing Birth, Death, Marriage, and Residence certificates, Construction permits, MGNREGA-related, and TPDS-related services. Updates were also provided on ServicePlus and PANCHAM initiatives.

This was followed by a productive interaction with state Panchayati Raj officials on service delivery models and future plans. The presentations were delivered by the following Secretary level officers from Panchayati Raj Departmentsof states to showcasetheir best practices and initiatives undertaken as a part of their e-governance reforms and efforts to enhance overall public service delivery:

• Smt Uma Mahadevan, Additional Chief Secretary Karnataka
• Shri Gagandeep Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Tamil Nadu
• Shri Eknath Dhavale, Secretary (Panchayati Raj), Maharashtra
• ⁠Smt Mary Joseph, Secretary (Panchayati Raj), Kerala
• Smt Mona Khandhar, Secretary(Panchayati Raj), Gujarat
• Shri Lokesh, Secretary (Panchayati Raj), Telangana

The presentations by aforementioned officers showcased a range of innovative initiatives that are revolutionising service delivery at the grassroots level. Participants gained insights into the digital transformation of Gram Panchayats and their potential to drive public service delivery.

The Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj delivered the closing remarks, commending the efforts of Panchayati Raj institutions, highlighting the importance of learning from successful models, and emphasizing the need for a coordinated roadmap with states to streamline efforts. He also expressed gratitude to the Secretary of DARPG for organising the webinar.

The Secretary of DARPG recognised the achievements of Panchayati Raj institutions in advancing service delivery and praised states for their progress in enhancing online service delivery. Notable examples include Kerala's portal integration and Gujarat's remarkable contributions to the digital sector.

The Secretary, DARPG concluded by felicitating the Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj for making the workshop valuable and memorable for all participants.

The webinar was attended by over 1,100 officials from across the nation, including Principal Secretaries, Administrative Reforms Secretaries, IT Secretaries of States/UTs, District Collectors, Police Departments, State Information Officers, Panchayati Raj Institutions and academia from IITs/IIITs/NITs and other institutions. The webinar was also broadcasted on YouTube.

***

NKR/KS/AG