Goa's Panchayats Go Digital: A Leap Towards Transparency & Efficiency

In a transformational move, Goa is transitioning nearly all village panchayat services to digital platforms, as revealed by a minister in the state assembly. The initiative aims to bring grassroots governance into the digital era, eliminating the need for physical visits to panchayat offices.

Unveiling the plan during the assembly's monsoon session, Goa Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho announced the launch of an AI-based facial recognition attendance system effective August 1. He emphasized the online availability of key services like income certificates and house repair permissions, with a vision for complete digitization.

The shift promises greater transparency, with proceedings and resolutions from panchayat meetings set to be accessible online. Despite some delays, the rollout will begin with five village panchayats, expanding monthly. Future plans include digitizing large volumes of tax and trade records to streamline operations further.

(With inputs from agencies.)