LG Manoj Sinha highlights grassroots digital transformation and panchayat innovations at regional workshop

SRINAGAR, June 23, 2026 :- Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha addressed the “Seva Se Samriddhi- Panchayat-led Service Delivery” regional workshop today, which was organized jointly by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Jammu and Kashmir administration.

Highlighting the historic transformations and inclusive development driven by the three-tier Panchayati Raj system under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Lieutenant Governor noted that public service delivery has been completely revolutionized through a people-first approach. He stated that the Union Territory expanded its digital footprint from just 35 online services in 2020 to more than 1,100 by 2023, allowing it to top the national e-service delivery rankings.

This administrative shift focused on grassroots governance by utilizing campaigns like Block Diwas and Back to Village to ensure public services reach citizens directly at their doorsteps while tailoring local infrastructure to meet regional needs.

During the workshop, participants from Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand were urged to study successful digital governance models from Jammu and Kashmir, such as BEAMS-EMPOWERMENT, Aapki Zameen-Aapki Nigrani, and Your Mobile-Our Office. The Lieutenant Governor highlighted the massive jump in digital transactions within the region, noting that Jammu and Kashmir recorded 50 crore digital transactions in the first six months of 2023 alone, a figure that outpaced several large states.

This digital expansion is backed by more than 15,000 operational Common Service Centre outlets, providing an impressive 98.16% connectivity coverage across 4,211 out of 4,290 local panchayats, with the remainder being located in highly remote border areas.To drive further rural innovation, the Lieutenant Governor proposed key recommendations for nationwide adoption, including the establishment of Village Innovation Labs to create low-cost local solutions, specialized capacity-building programs for panchayat leaders, and institutionalizing participatory budgeting.

He also emphasized the importance of mainstreaming sustainable development campaigns and elevating women to core leadership roles across all public welfare schemes. The workshop concluded with the felicitation of outstanding local bodies and entrepreneurs, including the Panditpora Gram Panchayat from Kupwara and village entrepreneur Syed Waris Hafiz from Budgam, alongside other notable performers from the participating states.