AHMEDABAD: Amid tall claims of digital rural development, Gujarat’s ground reality tells another story. Fresh central data reveals that 467 gram panchayats in the state still lack a single computer. Adding to the irony, 111 panchayat offices don’t even have broadband access.
Out of the 14,648 gram panchayat buildings across Gujarat, these glaring gaps raise questions on the state's much-touted "Digital India" push.
The digital divide in India's grassroots democracy came under sharp focus in the Lok Sabha when Samajwadi Party MP Devesh Shakya questioned the government on the lack of basic facilities like computers and internet in Gram Panchayats across states.
Responding to the query, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj laid bare stark numbers on digital readiness. In Gujarat, out of 14,648 Gram Panchayat Bhavans, 14,181 are equipped with computers but 467 still function without a single computer.
Zooming out to the national level, the scale of deficiency looks even starker. Across India, as many as 56,387 Gram Panchayat Bhavans are operating without their own computers, undercutting the government’s push for e-governance in rural India.
The Ministry pointed to corrective steps, but the response looks tokenistic. Under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), only 43 Gram Panchayat Bhavans of Gujarat have been approved for computers, a drop in the ocean compared to the staggering shortfall.
But computers aren't the only concern; connectivity is another. Of Gujarat’s 14,674 Gram Panchayats, 14,563 enjoy broadband links, while 111 remain cut off from high-speed internet. This absence of connectivity, experts warn, directly impacts digital governance, online service delivery and even rural election processes.
The timing of the disclosure is significant. On June 22, the Gujarat State Election Commission held polls for 8,326 Gram Panchayats. While Panchayat elections are officially non-partisan, the ruling BJP claimed that a majority of BJP-backed Sarpanches emerged victorious, a reminder of how vital these digitally lagging institutions are in shaping grassroots politics.
The government also clarified the federal framework of responsibility. Panchayats, being local governments, fall under the State List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. This makes it primarily the responsibility of states and Union Territories to equip them with computers and internet. Yet, the Centre supplements these efforts under RGSA, albeit in a limited way, with a sharper focus on the under-served North Eastern states.