Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said that Jammu & Kashmir has the potential to be a key player in India’s “Viksit Bharat” story and closely partner with the Central government in the writing of India’s growth story.
As for J&K, Dr Jitendra Singh said the Department of Administrative Reforms DARPG in the Union Ministry of Personnel had helped J&K government to transit to e-Office, thereby saving crores of rupees incurred in transport of all the office files to and fro between Jammu and Srinagar during each Durbar move.
Dr. Jitendra Singh was addressing the “National Governance Conference” on the theme “Holistic Development of Districts” here today in the presence of the Chief Minister of Jammu Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, Chief Secretary J&K, Atal Dulloo, Secretary Personnel Govt of India Rachna Shah and other senior officers from the Central and the UT governments.
The Union Minister said that the Centre is taking governance to remote areas to ensure inclusivity and wider participation, moving beyond traditional methods. He said this is part of a conscious effort to transform governance practices in line with the requirements of contemporary India.
Tracing the reform journey since Independence, Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that while India adopted a democratic framework early on, a renewed and focused momentum in governance reforms gained impetus in recent years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He emphasized the guiding principle of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance,” underscoring maximum use of technology and minimal human interface to enhance transparency and efficiency.
Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that nearly 90 percent of the Government of India’s work processes are now online, describing it as the “magic of technology” being put to optimum use. Initiatives such as the Aspirational Districts Programme were cited as unique examples of competitive and cooperative federalism, encouraging districts to adopt best practices and strive for excellence, he said adding that high-performing districts are felicitated by the Prime Minister, fostering a culture of performance-based governance.
Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted major reforms undertaken in the past decade, including the removal of nearly 2,000 outdated rules, many of which had significant socio-economic implications. He spoke about pension reforms that brought greater inclusivity and flexibility, trust-based governance measures such as ending the practice of attestation by gazetted officers, and abolishing interviews for certain categories of recruitment to promote transparency and meritocracy.
On grievance redressal, the Union Minister lauded the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), noting that around 90 percent of grievances are addressed within a week. He also cited global success stories such as the Digital Life Certificate enabled through face recognition technology and the widespread adoption of the Unified Payments Interface, which has revolutionized digital payments.
Dr. Jitendra Singh expressed confidence that Jammu & Kashmir possesses immense merit and potential and can become a torchbearer in India’s growth story by fully leveraging central initiatives and opportunities.