Telangana government proposes to introduce 2,400 e-Panchayats

HYDERABAD: Telangana has proposed to introduce e-Panchayats initiative in 2,400 Gram Panchayats (GPs) providing computer services at the lowest level of the government.

Under the programme, all payments of MGNREGS, pensions, watershed and other government programmes would be administered through "one stop shop" to be set up at these GPs, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Principal Secretary J Raymond Peter said.

The decision was taken at a meeting convened by Panchayat Raj and Information Technology Minister K Taraka Rama Rao who held a detailed review with top officials of the two departments, an NIC (National Informatics Centre) team and senior officers of APTS ( Andhra Pradesh Technology Services).

The goal of the e-Panchayat is to provide computerised services at the local government level, officials said, adding, the State government would like to empower these GPs to be transparent, accountable and responsive.

"This (e-Panchayats) is expected to bring in a revolution in enhancing transparency and accountability in all the Gram Panchayats and make them fully function like a village level secretariat," Peter commented.

The government proposed to start e-Panchayats in 2400 GPs with broadband connectivity so as to offer complete computerised services by them, including tax collection, layout fees, fee collection on birth and death certificates, preparation of "Mana Vooru-Mana Pranalika" plan monitoring expenditure of various schemes of the GPs.

Peter said Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department would quickly assess the number of GPs which have broadband connectivity to start e-Panchayats.