CM emphasizes digitization of RD and PR department to strengthen rural economy

• 99.84 percent families registered under e-family register

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while presiding over a review meeting of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department here today, said that State Government was committed to strengthening the rural economy. He stated that this department plays a crucial role in this effort and directed the department to digitize its operations, which would go a long way in enhancing service delivery to the common people.
He said that the implementation of the e-family register had been made mandatory from 27 April, 2024 and under this initiative, 18.96 lakh families (99.84%) had already been registered. For the first time, the registration of livestock had also been introduced on the same portal from December, 2024.
“To improve citizen convenience, 780 Common Service Centers (CSCs) have been set up in Gram Panchayat buildings during 2024-25. Additionally, services like Parivar Nakal, marriage certificates, and BPL certificates are now available online via the e-Family Portal and e-District Portal. So far, 11,016 Parivar Nakal, 3,595 marriage certificates, and 5,004 BPL certificates have been issued online in 2024-25,” he added.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has given a historic increase of Rs. 60 in MGNREGA wages, raising it from Rs 240 to Rs 300 per day. As part of this, the state government has released Rs. 201.51 crore as a top-up amount for MGNREGA workers.
He also stressed the government’s commitment to increasing the income of women self-help groups (SHGs) and said that recently, seven food vans had been allocated to SHGs, and in the next financial year, 60 more food vans would be offered. He further said that shops for SHGs would be allocated in all hotels under construction by the Tourism Department and HPTDC. Additionally, SHGs products such as soaps etc will also be supplied to all HPTDC hotels to enhance their earnings.
The Chief Minister directed the department to improve the marketing of SHG products and natural farming produce. To boost online sales, the state government has launched a dedicated Him-ira e-commerce website, which is already yielding positive results, he said.
Sh. Sukhu instructed the department to accelerate the implementation of all projects and asked officers to work proactively in delivering maximum benefits to the people.
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, Secretary Rajesh Sharma, Director Raghav Sharma, CEO, HPSRLM Shivam Pratap Singh, Director, IT Dr. Nipun Jindal and other senior officers of the department were also present in the meeting.