Gandhinagar: The Digital Seva Setu initiative has made government services accessible online, even for citizens in the state’s remotest villages. Currently, 321 types of certificates and services are available on the portal, benefiting over 61 lakh people in the past two years, the Gujarat government announced today.

Launched by the state government in October 2020, the Digital Seva Setu portal aims to ensure that even the most remote areas of Gujarat can access government services seamlessly. By bringing services usually offered at taluka and district centres directly to rural residents, the portal enables access at their convenience and for a standard fee through the Gram Panchayat.

The Government of India had launched the BharatNet project with the vision of delivering broadband connectivity to every Gram Panchayat across the country. In Gujarat, this initiative, implemented by the State Science and Technology Department, has connected over 8,000 villages to a high-speed 100 Mbps optical fibre network. Services such as name additions or corrections, issuance of duplicate ration cards, income certificates, senior citizen certificates, creamy layer certificates, caste certificates, and more can now be obtained from the Gram Panchayat office via Digital Seva Setu for just ₹20.

In Gujarat, the Digital Seva Setu platform, powered by the BharatNet Phase-2 network, has successfully delivered 321 services to nearly 1.57 crore rural residents.

Gujarat’s Gram Panchayats have recently been authorised to issue 14 types of certificates for a nominal fee of ₹20, including income proof and modifications to ration cards. This initiative helps rural citizens avoid the need to travel to taluka or district offices for essential services like certificates and documents, saving both time and travel costs. A total of 14,112 Gram Panchayats across 248 talukas have been covered under this initiative.

As per the government, in 2023–24, 27,13,079 people accessed various government services through Gram Panchayats, while 34,99,261 people benefitted in 2024–25. The portal currently offers 321 types of certificates and services, with 18 additional certificates and services from the Social Justice and Empowerment Department (SJED) set to launch soon. The implementation of Digital Seva Setu has not only reduced time, costs, and paper usage but has also generated employment through Village Computer Entrepreneurs (VCEs). DeshGujarat