CS pushes for 100% panchayat saturation, expansion of CSC services across J&K

JAMMU : Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting of the Information Technology Department to review the functioning of Common Service Centres (CSCs), assess the range and quality of services being delivered to citizens, and chart out a roadmap for expanding their reach across all districts of J&K.
The meeting was attended by the Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department and Power Development Department; Principal Secretary, Finance; Secretary, Information Technology; Secretary, J&K Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board; Managing Director, JPDCL; Chief Executive Officer, JaKeGA; State Head, CSC-SPV, besides other senior officers of the concerned departments.
Deputy Commissioners attended through video conferencing from their respective offices.
Taking a detailed appraisal of CSC operations, the Chief Secretary stressed the need for a comprehensive analysis of their reach at the panchayat level and directed the department to formulate a focused plan to ensure saturation of CSC services in every panchayat of the UT.
He underscored the transformative potential of digital and online services, noting that CSCs play a critical role in enabling citizens to access a wide range of services at their doorsteps. Emphasising timely action, he called for the preparation of a concrete three-month action plan for onboarding new services on the CSC portal and for close monitoring to ensure their successful implementation.
The Chief Secretary also sought updates from Deputy Commissioners on the status of Digital Centres of Excellence in their respective districts. He urged them to extend all necessary support to expedite the establishment of these centres, highlighting that they would function as comprehensive Seva Kendras providing multiple services under one roof.
The Additional Chief Secretary, APD and PDD, Shailendra Kumar highlighted the need to promote greater adoption of Digi Locker among the public. He observed that while the utility of the platform is significant, its uptake remains low, and stressed the importance of creating awareness through parent-teacher meetings, village-level outreach programmes and other community engagement initiatives.
He further directed that the grievance redressal mechanism related to CSCs be strengthened and made more responsive, so that citizens feel encouraged to report issues such as overcharging or delivery of substandard services.
The Principal Secretary, Finance, Santosh D Vaidya emphasised the role of CSCs in generating awareness and mobilising beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM) scheme, pointing out that CSCs have been specifically entrusted with this responsibility as part of the scheme design.
Secretary, IT, Dr Piyush Singla, apprised the meeting of the current spread and operational status of CSCs across the Union Territory. He presented a comparative overview of services available earlier and those presently being delivered through the CSC ecosystem, also informing the participants about notified service charges and their uniform enforcement.
He highlighted the contribution of CSC Mobile Vans in reaching far-flung and remote areas, creating awareness and delivering services at government-approved rates directly at the doorsteps of people. He noted that more such vehicles in a mountainous region like J&K would make such services more accessible to such areas.
The State Head, CSC-SPV, Faizan Manzoor, presented a detailed overview of the CSC landscape in Jammu and Kashmir. He informed that a total of 20,571 CSCs have been established across the UT, out of which 11,499 are currently functional. The network includes 314 Bank Business Correspondents, 20 District ASK centres, over 70 Block ASKs and more than 70 Union Council level centres. Additionally, 888 new CSC touch points have been made operational to further strengthen last-mile service delivery.
He added that the CSC ecosystem now spans all districts, with representation through General CSCs as well as service points operating via Fair Price Shops, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), Kisan Khidmat Ghars (KKGs), Self-Help Groups and RDD model CSCs. At present, 402 RDD model CSCs and 84 CSCs established in social welfare institutions are functional, significantly enhancing outreach in rural and remote areas.
Regarding CSC touch points, the meeting was informed that against a target of 942 locations, 888 have already been covered, achieving an overall coverage of 94 per cent.
Highlighting performance during the financial year 2025–26, it was reported that CSCs recorded over 2.7 lakh Aadhaar transactions, 1.5 lakh AEPS transactions amounting to nearly ₹193 Cr, and 2.3 lakh micro-ATM transactions involving about ₹71 Cr.
During the same period, more than 6.5 lakh G2C and B2C transactions were facilitated, around 50,000 insurance and loan-related transactions were completed, and over 9,200 domestic money transfer transactions were recorded. Tele-Law services benefitted more than 2,000 registered cases, while skill development and education services reached over 14,600 beneficiaries.
Reviewing action taken on earlier decisions, the meeting noted that all Deputy Commissioners have been provided dashboard access for real-time, district-wise monitoring of CSC performance.
On monitoring and oversight mechanism in place it was informed that separate inspection committees have been constituted for the Jammu and Kashmir regions to ensure transparency and compliance.
Additionally CSC District Managers have been directed to conduct regular field visits, supplemented by surprise inspections to curb instances of overcharging. A dedicated grievance redressal mechanism for CSC-related complaints is operational, and strict enforcement measures have resulted in the cancellation of 678 CSC licences for violations related to overcharging.
Outlining the way forward, the meeting identified key support measures to further strengthen the CSC ecosystem. These include full integration of e-Sign and Digital Signature Certificate services, resolution of role-mapping issues affecting Village Level Entrepreneur access on the Jansugam portal, and provision of dashboard access for effective monitoring of Ayushman Bharat registrations.
The need to expedite onboarding of pending departmental services, particularly power billing, farmers’ registry and single-window services, was also emphasised to enhance overall service delivery.
To expand outreach further, CSC Mobile Vans have been deployed in districts including Anantnag, Jammu, Bandipora and Pulwama, with additional vans proposed for Doda and Kupwara. These mobile units are equipped to provide Aadhaar, PM scheme enrolments, banking, insurance and other digital services at the doorsteps of citizens, especially in remote and underserved areas.