THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The e-governance platform K-SMART, which has already brought transformative changes in urban local bodies, will be expanded to the state’s three-tier panchayats by April, said LSG Minister M B Rajesh.
As a prelude to the expansion, a pilot run of K-SMART is set to commence on January 1 in the Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat, Nedumangad block panchayat and Karakulam grama panchayat. All necessary preparations for implementing K-SMART in these three local bodies have been completed.
K-SMART, an upgraded version of the Integrated Local Governance Management System (ILGMS), currently operational in grama panchayats, was developed by the Information Kerala Mission. From January 1, 2024, K-SMART has been successfully implemented in all municipalities across the state, and now it is set to be deployed in all local self-governance institutions. The minister said the introduction of K-SMART in panchayats will mark a significant leap for Kerala in the field of e-governance.
He noted that K-SMART has already gained national attention for its efficiency and scalability. Since panchayats currently use the ILGMS system, the transition to K-SMART is expected to be seamless. The platform will enable citizens to access all services online promptly without visiting panchayat offices, providing immense benefits to the public while significantly reducing the workload of employees.
The minister further lauded the technical experts and staff of the Information Kerala Mission for preparing K-SMART for deployment in panchayats. A comprehensive training programme for the employees of 941 grama panchayats, 152 block panchayats, and 14 district panchayats will begin in January. K-SMART will be implemented in panchayats with advanced features such as digital file management, configuration modules, civil registration, property tax, rule-engine-based building permits, public grievance management, meeting management, business facilitation, rent/lease management, professional tax, paramedical tutorial registration, pet licencing, plan development, service pensions, Know Your Land, and mobile apps.
While the ILGMS currently offers only three modules, K-SMART will provide more efficient and faster service delivery to the public. Over 27.31 lakh files have been processed since K-SMART’s implementation on January 1, 2024.
Advanced features
Digital file management, configuration modules, civil registration, property tax, rule-engine-based building permits, public grievance management, meeting management, business facilitation, rent/lease management, professional tax, paramedical tutorial registration, pet licencing, plan development, service pensions, Know Your Land and mobile apps