Only 16 of 191 panchayats in Goa have gone digital so far

Panaji: Of the 191 panchayats in the state, only 16 are offering online services as a part of their digitisation drive.

A senior official from the directorate of panchayats said that the main reason for fewer panchayats offering online services is due to some minor road blocks in data entry.

“Ideally, it doesn’t take a lot of time to make data entries and upload them on the website. Many panchayats need dedicated manpower to make the data entries for digitising the information online, and someone needs to keep an eye on the designated person doing the data entries. Presently, the existing staff in the respective panchayats has to do this, along with regular work,” the official said.

The official said that all panchayats were given three months’ time from the date of the implementation to upload their data on time. Later, the timeline was extended to a couple more months. “It is all about the willingness of the panchayats to do this. It will be beneficial for them as well as for the people, who won’t have to visit the panchayat office every time,” he said.

Block development officer Shubham Bhartu was appointed as a nodal officer in Jan to fast track the data entry process for all panchayats. “I have instructed all the taluka-level BDOs to expedite the process and have also been keeping a close eye on the progress made so far,” he said.

The first phase of the digitisation of panchayat services was rolled out in Aug 2025, wherein panchayats of Chicalim, Batim, Alorna, Bastora and Casarvarnem introduced online services, facilitating certificates of character, income and residence at the click of a button.

A total of nine services are available online at 16 panchayats.