Digital Seva Setu: Advancing digital transformation across rural Gujarat

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], April 16 (ANI): The Gujarat Government's Digital Seva Setu initiative has made government services accessible online, even for citizens in the state's remotest villages, the Chief Minister's office said in a press release.
Powered by a strong optical fibre network, Digital Seva Setu ensures the delivery of essential services at the village level. 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's Digital Seva Setu initiative has made government services accessible online, even for citizens in the state's remotest villages. Powered by a strong optical fibre network, Digital Seva Setu ensures the delivery of essential services at the village level. Currently, 321 types of certificates and services are available on the portal, benefiting over 61 lakh people in the past two years, added the release.
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.
With Digital Seva Setu, government services have become more transparent, efficient, and accessible, marking a key advancement in the digital transformation of rural Gujarat.
Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India continues to advance in digital connectivity. The 'Digital India' mission, launched by the Prime Minister to promote public welfare and enhance 'Ease of Living' through technology, is being further advanced through Gujarat's 'Digital Gujarat' initiative, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the Chief Minister's office said in a press release.
The Government of India launched the BharatNet project with the vision of delivering broadband connectivity to every Gram Panchayat across the country. In Gujarat, this transformative initiative, implemented by the State Science and Technology Department, has revolutionised governance through the Digital Seva Setu platform.
By connecting over 8,000 villages to a high-speed 100 Mbps optical fibre network, the project ensures that services traditionally available only at taluka and district centres are now accessible directly at the Gram Panchayat level, all for a nominal fee.
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 Rs 20.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, 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 Rs 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.
The success of Digital Seva Setu is reflected in its statistics. 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). (ANI)