Gujarat: Fifth GARC report charts roadmap for digital good governance

Gandhinagar, Oct 29 (IANS) Gujarat Administrative Reforms Commission (GARC) has submitted its fifth report to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, outlining 12 key recommendations aimed at realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Nagarik Devo Bhav’ (Citizen First) approach through technology-driven administrative reforms.

The report envisions transforming Gujarat’s governance ecosystem under the mantra ‘Government at the Doorstep of the Citizen’ and the vision of ‘One State – One Portal’.

It proposes the creation of a unified digital platform where citizens can access all government services through a Single Sign-On (SSO) system using a single user ID.

This would allow citizens to provide personal information only once, which can then be reused across multiple services — fulfilling the goal of “Give information once – get benefits repeatedly.”

A key highlight of the report is the proposed Digital Gujarat 2.0 portal, designed to transition governance from a reactive to a proactive model.

The upgraded portal would feature smart alerts that automatically extend social welfare benefits and lifecycle-based guidance to eligible citizens without requiring separate applications.

The report also recommends introducing end-to-end digital workflows for major citizen services, enabling real-time updates on applications and approvals to enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency.

In line with the government’s “Less Paper – More Facilities” objective, GARC has suggested standardised forms, the removal of redundant documents and stamps, and digital integration with Aadhaar and DigiLocker.

The report also recommends modernising all Jan Seva Kendras (JSKs) across Gujarat, establishing guidance desks, reducing waiting times, and improving the citizen experience.

To strengthen service delivery in rural and urban areas, the report proposes empowering Village Computer Entrepreneurs (VCEs) and adopting Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models for urban operations.

It further calls for regular audits and updates under the Right to Citizen Public Service Act, alongside capacity building for staff and clear civil service timings to ensure Ease of Governance.

Presenting the report, Hasmukh Adhia, Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister and Chairman of GARC, said the initiative goes beyond technology — it seeks to foster a new culture of citizen-first governance.

“This report embodies the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Nagarik Devo Bhav’ and Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel’s mission of ‘Sarkar pahochshe nagrik sudhi, nagrik nahi sarkar sudhi’ — the government will reach the citizen, not the other way around,” he said.

--IANS

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