Karnataka govt plans to take online citizen services to villages

BENGALURU: Citizen-related services will go online even in rural areas with the State Government planning to launch the Gram Seva project on January 26 on a trial basis. The services will be made available at Gram Panchayats, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Thursday.

Speaking at the inaugural function of the Amrit Gram Panchayat scheme, the CM said gram panchayats should become centres offering citizen services and delivering government facilities at the doorsteps of people, and added that officials have been directed to start preparations for the implementation of the scheme in five districts. 

Under the scheme, overall development of 750 gram panchayats will be taken up with Rs 2,300 crore for providing drinking water to each household, streetlights, 100 per cent segregation and disposal of solid waste, scientific disposal of waste water, installing solar power and schools with digital libraries. The CM said around Rs 3 crore will be provided to each panchayat, along with an incentive of Rs 25 lakh, which complete the programme by March 31 next year.

If all the 750 GPs succeed to meet the deadline, as many as 1,500 panchayats will be selected for the scheme in the next phase, the CM said and added that the State Government has released Rs 2,000 crore recently for implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure 100 per cent coverage of functional household tap connection in rural areas. 

Emphasizing the importance of people’s participation in governance, the CM said planning should be done at the grassroots level and funds must be provided by the government. Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayath Raj, Giriraj Singh, said all gram panchayats must be connected digitally by 2024, and directed the State Government to implement this on priority. The minister also promised to look into RDPR Minister KS Eshwarappa’s request to enhance the target under MGNREGA.