Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir has achieved a “significant milestone” in e-governance by providing over 1,028 services in online mode to citizens, institutions and business establishments, according to an official press release issued on Sunday.
In the National e-services Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) report released by the Union Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Jammu and Kashmir secured the topmost position with an “impressive” 1,028 e-services, surpassing Madhya Pradesh with 1,010 e-services and Kerala with 911 e-services, it said.
It said the report, released on Sunday, firmly placed Jammu and Kashmir at the forefront of states and union territories in the provisioning of e-services.
Commending the efforts of all departments, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha said “it is an achievement in tune with the commitment and resolve of the J&K administration to provide ease, convenience and accessibility of services to the common man ushering in a new era of digital governance”.
“This remarkable achievement is reshaping the social landscape, enhancing citizen satisfaction levels, ensuring transparency and accountability and empowering the aspirational and talented youth of the region,” he said.
Sinha said driven by a “citizens-first” approach and a steadfast commitment to empowering the public, this digital transformation represents a significant stride towards a governance system that is transparent, accountable and highly efficient.
Under the Digital J&K programme launched last year, the number of online services has increased exponentially from 35 services in 2019 to 1,028 services as on date, according to the release.
Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta said the achievement is a result of commitment to “transparent and corruption-free governance”.
“Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed exceptional increase in volume and uptake of e-services which has transformed the government-citizen interface as never before,” he said.
The release said over 61 lakh messages have been sent to citizens for the feedback assessment with 86 percent approval rating, while 73 services have been integrated with Digilocker.
“The seriousness of the administration’s resolve can be gauged from the fact that the Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA), 2011 has been amended to bring online services under its ambit. Around 300 services have been brought under the auto-escalation mechanism for ensuring time-bound delivery of services and penalties for delays in service delivery,” it said.
Dr Mehta, while congratulating all the departments for achieving this feat, said that it is a result of “commitment to transparent and corruption-free governance”. Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed exceptional increase in volume and uptake of e-services which has transformed the government-citizen interface as never before, he said.
“It is the adoption of a robust model of e-governance and citizen-centric approach by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir which has resulted in an exponential rise in the number of online services and availability of services 24 x 7 x 365” he said.
Integration with systems like Digilocker, Aadhaar, e-payment/SMS Gateways has further enhanced the ease of living and convenience of citizens obviating the need to visit government offices. He also thanked the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) for their unwavering support in this remarkable journey where our online services grew manifold.
Union Secretary, DARPG, V Srinivas, congratulated the UT government for this incredible feat. He stated that the NeSDA framework, developed by DARPG has played a pivotal role in catalyzing the improvement in the uptake, volume, and quality of e-services.
This achievement stands as a testament to the UT government’s resolve and DARPG’s unwavering commitment to revolutionizing governance through technology. Through the NeSDA framework, DARPG has set a benchmark for states and UTs across the nation. He assured of all support to the UT administration in its digital journey.
