Satish Sharma reviews performance of FCS&CA, IT departments; calls for transparent, citizen-centric, technology driven governance

SRINAGAR : Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Information Technology, Youth Services & Sports, Science & Technology and Transport, Satish Sharma, on wednesday chaired a review meeting to assess the performance, achievements, ongoing initiatives and future roadmap of the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) and Information Technology (IT) Departments, with emphasis on strengthening the governance through technology, transparency and efficient public service delivery.
During the meeting, the Minister undertook a detailed review of the functioning of both the departments, examining the key initiatives, infrastructure development, digital governance projects, financial management, citizen-centric reforms and the roadmap for implementation of major programmes during 2026-27.
Reviewing the functioning of the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department, Satish Sharma reiterated the government’s commitment to ensure food security through an efficient, transparent and accountable Public Distribution System.
The Minister reviewed the implementation of the Chief Minister’s commitment of providing the benefit of six LPG cylinders annually to the eligible beneficiaries and directed the officers to expedite all procedural formalities for its timely rollout. He also reviewed the arrangements for advance distribution of foodgrains for the months of August to October to ensure uninterrupted supplies during the monsoon season.
The Minister was briefed on the successful implementation of the SMART-PDS ecosystem, migration to the Ration Card Management System (RCMS), Aadhaar-enabled Public Distribution System, integration with national digital platforms and expansion of online citizen services. He emphasized leveraging technology to simplify service delivery, improve transparency and eliminate delays.
Satish Sharma appreciated the department’s efforts in identifying and removing ineligible beneficiaries through the Rightful Targeting initiative, observing that the exercise has strengthened the transparency and ensured that welfare benefits reach genuine beneficiaries.
He also reviewed the status of CAPEX works, modernization of food storage infrastructure, upgradation of intermediate granaries, implementation of centrally sponsored schemes and the progress of the City Gas Distribution (CGD) project.
Stressing the importance of clean energy, the Minister called for expediting the expansion of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister further reviewed the proposals for formulation of the Piped Natural Gas (PNG) Policy and the Compressed Biogas (CBG) Policy. He directed the department to accelerate the reforms aimed at promoting clean energy, sustainable development and a circular economy. He also emphasized strengthening Ease of Doing Business through simplification of departmental procedures, digitisation of services and timely implementation of the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) and District Business Reforms Action Plan (D-BRAP).
Satish Sharma stressed timely completion of infrastructure projects, efficient procurement and distribution of essential commodities, rationalisation of Fair Price Shops wherever required and expansion of digital citizen services, including WhatsApp-based service delivery.
The Minister also conducted a comprehensive review of the Information Technology Department, assessing the progress of digital governance initiatives and the roadmap for major projects proposed for 2026-27.
He was briefed on the department’s vision for building a resilient, secure and citizen-centric digital ecosystem to improve the public service delivery, enhance transparency and harness emerging technologies for inclusive development.
The Minister reviewed several flagship initiatives proposed by the department, including integration of government services with WhatsApp, expansion of the State Data Centre, establishment of a Disaster Recovery Site, strengthening of LAN and Wi-Fi infrastructure in the Civil Secretariats, creation of a J&K Data Exchange and Data Lake, implementation of a comprehensive Wi-Fi Policy and introduction of multilingual digital services.
Satish Sharma stressed that technology must serve as a catalyst for good governance by making public services more accessible, transparent and efficient. He directed the officers to ensure that every digital intervention remains citizen-friendly, secure, scalable and capable of reducing the need for physical visits to government offices, thereby enabling seamless access to services across both urban and remote areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister also reviewed the achievements of the IT Department during 2025-26, including successful implementation of e-Office across government offices, expansion of the eUNNAT platform, DigiLocker integration, JK MyGov, Mobile Seva, the State e-Governance Mission Team, JK IT Cell and several cyber security initiatives. He was informed that Jammu and Kashmir has secured leading positions in national assessments relating to digital governance and online service delivery.
Highlighting the growing significance of cyber security, Satish Sharma directed the department to further strengthen the Jammu and Kashmir Security Operations Centre (JK-SOC), adopt global best practices in cyber resilience and ensure robust safeguards for protection of government digital infrastructure and citizens’ data.
The Minister also reviewed the strategic initiatives aimed at positioning Jammu and Kashmir as a technology and innovation hub, including establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Emerging Technologies, development of IT Parks, expansion of J&K IT Services and migration of government applications to secure cloud infrastructure.
Calling for measurable outcomes and time-bound implementation, Satish Sharma directed both the departments to work in close coordination, ensure effective monitoring of all projects and maintain sustained focus on transparency, accountability and citizen satisfaction.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner/Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and Information Technology, Saurabh Bhagat; Director, FCS&CA, Kashmir, Nazim Zia Khan; Director, FCS&CA, Jammu, Rajesh Shavan; Director, Legal Metrology, J&K; Chief Executive Officer, JAKAEEGA besides other senior officers of the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and Information Technology Departments, who briefed the Minister on the progress of ongoing initiatives, implementation timelines and future action plans.