Gujarat announces ‘Seva Setu’ campaign to widen access to govt welfare schemes

Gandhinagar, Aug 6 (IANS) The Gujarat government has announced a fresh statewide rollout of its ‘Seva Setu’ programme, with a renewed focus on identifying every eligible beneficiary of government welfare schemes before delivering services through village- and ward-level camps later this year.

Under two resolutions issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) on August 5, the government has decided to organise Seva Setu 2.1 in rural Gujarat in two phases, while the 12th phase of the urban Seva Setu programme will be held from September 21 to October 9.

Detailed implementation guidelines have been issued to all districts, talukas, gram panchayats, municipalities and municipal corporations across the state.

The initiative, announced on Thursday, aims to ensure that eligible citizens receive government services and welfare benefits closer to their homes while reducing delays caused by missing documents or procedural hurdles.

According to the government, the first phase of Rural Seva Setu 2.1 will run from August 6 to September 19. During this period, officials will provide services related to Aadhaar cards, ration cards and income certificates, while also identifying eligible beneficiaries for various welfare schemes.

Preparatory work will include opening bank accounts, completing e-KYC formalities, facilitating enrolment under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and preparing the necessary documents required for beneficiaries to receive government assistance.

The second phase, from September 21 to October 9, will see cluster-level camps organised across villages, where eligible beneficiaries identified during the preparatory phase will be able to access government services and scheme benefits on the spot.

The government said this approach is intended to speed up service delivery and move towards saturation, or full coverage, of eligible beneficiaries under government schemes.

The camps will bring together multiple public services at a single location.

Citizens will be able to apply for or receive services including Aadhaar cards, ration cards, income certificates, mutation of inheritance records, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana enrolment, Jan Dhan accounts, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Kisan Credit Cards, the Matrushakti Yojana, the SVAMITVA Scheme, banking services, Scheduled Caste certificates and the Ganga Swarupa Arthik Sahay Yojana, among other government services.

Officials from the respective departments will remain present to accept applications, with most services expected to be delivered during the camps themselves. A similar exercise will be carried out in urban Gujarat during the 12th phase of Seva Setu between September 21 and October 9.

Camps will be organised through ward clusters in municipal corporations and municipalities, allowing residents to access services close to their localities.

The government said the camps will provide facilities ranging from application submission and document verification to certificate issuance and services from multiple departments at a single venue.

While most cases are expected to be resolved on the same day, exceptional cases will be completed within seven days. The programme will also include a digital inclusion component.

Citizens attending the camps will receive guidance on digital transactions, the BHIM application and other digital services. Separate arrangements will be made for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and women to facilitate easier access to government services.

To oversee implementation, committees have been constituted at the district, taluka, municipal corporation and municipality levels.

These committees will be responsible for managing the programme, monitoring applications digitally and reviewing progress to ensure timely disposal of cases.

The government said the Seva Setu programme has served more than 3.7 crore citizens across rural and urban Gujarat between 2016 and 2025 by providing government services through local camps.

It said the latest statewide exercise builds on that experience with an emphasis on wider coverage, quicker service delivery and improved administrative monitoring.

–IANS

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