Wajahat Shabir
SRINAGAR: In a significant milestone for digital governance, Jammu and Kashmir has achieved 100% computer saturation in its Gram Panchayats, according to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
The Union Territory has 4,291 Panchayats, out of which 3,964 have dedicated Panchayat Bhawans. Under the revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), 1,318 computers have been approved for the UT since 2022.
This information was put forth in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
However, while the infrastructure push is evident, Jammu and Kashmir has failed to implement online audit mechanisms, a critical tool for ensuring financial transparency in Panchayat-level governance. The data reveals zero audit plans and reports generated from J&K for the audit year 2023-24 under the ‘AuditOnline’ portal, despite the Centre’s emphasis on e-governance tools the Minister of Panchayati Raj, Rajiv Ranjan Singh Alias Lalan Singh, informed the Lok Sabha.
As part of the Digital India initiative, the BharatNet project is also being extended to J&K to provide high-speed internet connectivity to rural areas. J&K has also been included among the 13 States/UTs that have reported complete digital saturation of computers in Panchayats.
In terms of funding, the UT received ₹65 crore as central share in 2024–25 under RGSA, of which ₹57.89 crore has been utilized. In the previous financial year (2023–24), J&K utilized ₹98.61 crore out of the ₹65 crore released by the Centre, indicating a higher-than-sanctioned expenditure due to unspent funds from earlier years.
Despite infrastructure achievements, no Panchayats in J&K have been onboarded to the AuditOnline system, and there is no data on block or district-level e-governance performance, suggesting gaps in administrative follow-through and transparency.
The Ministry also acknowledged the role of mobile apps like eGramSwaraj, Meri Panchayat, and Panchayat NIRNAY in enhancing service delivery across India. However, Jammu and Kashmir’s data on digital service usage under these apps has not been clearly specified, further pointing to a lag in real-time transparency tools.
The government’s push through RGSA aims to improve Panchayat infrastructure, digital access, and training of elected representatives. Yet, experts say that implementation must go hand-in-hand with accountability mechanisms, especially in conflict-prone and governance-sensitive regions like Jammu and Kashmir.
