E-services in J&K increased from 15 to 227 in two years, says official

DARPG Secretary V. Srinivas says that in the next one year e-services in the Union Territory were expected to cross 400

The number of e-services in Jammu and Kashmir has increased from 15 to 227 in the past two years and as many as 60 services were added since February this year, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) Secretary V. Srinivas told The Hindu on Monday.

The department organised the 25th National e-Governance conference in Jammu’s Katra on November 26-27 that was presided over by Personnel Minister Jitendra Singh.

Mr. Srinivas said that in the next one year the e-services in the Union Territory were expected to cross 400. “Over a three-year period, the saturation level of 800 e-services can be achieved,” he said. Karnataka has 798 services online, he added.

According to the e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment 2021 report for Jammu and Kashmir, the implementation of EMPOWERMENT (Enabling Monitoring and Public Overview of Works being Executed and Resources for Meaningful Transparency) and BEAMS (Budget Estimation Allocation and Monitoring System) help the common citizens to access or monitor any project in their area and the expenditure incurred on it.

The Industries and Commerce department of Jammu and Kashmir has launched single window clearance system portal with more than 125 services under the Ease of Doing business. The report said the services common people and investors could apply online include — liquor and bar licence, certificate of non-forest land, change in name and location of a commercial unit, no-objection certificate for film shoot, application for registration of dairy farm or gaushala, mobile tower installation, issuance of incomes and assets certificate for economically weaker section (EWS) category, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe certificate, NOC from Fire department and renewal of hotel, guesthouse and houseboat licence.

“The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has made significant strides in e-governance with 56 mandatory services being provided online. The adoption of e-office has enabled simultaneous operationalisation of Jammu and Srinagar secretariats and ended the Darbar move practice. The revamping of JK-IGRAMS (integrated grievance and monitoring system) and mapping of district-level officers on the portal has ensured time-bound grievance redressal. The DARPG and Government of Jammu and Kashmir collaboration has been very successful in ensuring benefits of e-governance reach the poor and marginalised sections,” Mr. Srinivas said.