Goa is transforming grassroots governance by shifting nearly all village panchayat services to digital platforms in a phased rollout, eliminating the need for physical visits to panchayat offices, Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho announced during the state assembly’s monsoon session on July 28. The initiative, covering Goa’s 186 village panchayats across North and South districts, aims to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accessibility while introducing an AI-based facial recognition attendance system for staff from August 1.

“From income certificates to house repair permissions, nine major services are already online, and we’re targeting 100% digitization,” Godinho told the assembly. Available services include issuing residence, income, and character certificates, NOCs for water and electricity connections, trade and establishment license registration and renewal, and house repair permissions.

Starting next month, panchayat meeting proceedings and certified resolution copies will be accessible online, allowing public insight into local decisions. The state plans to digitize 10 lakh house tax records and 8 lakh trade license records, with future additions like house tax payments, construction licenses, occupancy certificates, and lease rent applications.

The rollout begins with five panchayats, expanding by 20–30 monthly, despite delays from a contractor’s failure to deliver on time. Godinho assured accelerated progress, fulfilling his prior session’s promise to streamline panchayat procedures. The AI-driven attendance system, supported by geo-tagging, ensures staff mark presence only at designated locations, with exceptions requiring valid reasons. “This will improve punctuality and discipline,” Godinho said, noting successful soft trials.

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Goa’s digital push aligns with its two-tier Panchayati Raj system under the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, overseen by the Directorate of Panchayats. The state’s online portal, goaonline.gov.in, already supports services like water connection applications and NOCs for road cutting, reflecting a broader e-governance commitment. The initiative draws inspiration from national efforts like eGramSwaraj, which promotes transparency in Panchayati Raj Institutions, and complements Goa’s Tourism 2.0 vision by boosting rural infrastructure for eco-tourism and cultural heritage.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant hailed the move as a step toward “smart governance,” while opposition leaders, including Congress’s Yuri Alemao, urged faster implementation in remote talukas like Canacona. Local sarpanches, such as Arambol’s Pravin Divkar, welcomed the transparency but flagged training needs for rural staff. With North Goa Zilla Panchayat’s 25 constituencies and South Goa’s 24 already leveraging digital tools, Goa’s phased approach sets a model for rural digitalization, though challenges like connectivity and digital literacy persist.

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