Kadepur Gram Panchayat recognized for digital governance excellence

Kadepur Gram Panchayat in the Sangli district of Maharashtra has earned national recognition for its work in digital governance. At the National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2026, the local council received a Gold Award for its approach to citizen service delivery. By building a digital ecosystem, the panchayat has provided more than 1,355 online services to 4,321 beneficiaries, setting a new standard for technology in rural administration. These changes have also improved the local economy, with revenue collection rising by 21 percent following the introduction of integrated digital payment systems.

This shift began with a move toward transparency, leading the panchayat to implement a fully paperless e-Office system. Kadepur is the first Gram Panchayat in India to adopt such a framework, which has simplified many administrative tasks. The village now uses eight Artificial Intelligence-based applications to manage duties like identifying scheme eligibility and generating responses for RTI requests. To keep digital records secure and maintain public trust, the administration also utilizes blockchain technology.

Success has relied on cooperation between local officials, technology providers, and the residents themselves. Through the Meri Panchayat App, the Gram Panchayat has addressed 1,736 grievances, reaching a 100 percent resolution rate. Digital participation has also increased through the use of the Nirnay App for all Gram Sabha meetings, recording the highest levels of engagement of its kind in the country.

The impact of these initiatives is visible in both social and financial terms. Using GIS-based geo-tagging for properties helped increase house tax revenue by approximately ₹7.5 lakh, illustrating the practical benefits of modernizing governance.