467 Panchayats Still Without Computers, 111 Offline

Amid tall claims of digital development, the Gujarat rural reality tells a starkly different story.

- Dilip Singh Kshatriya @ Ahmedabad

Fresh Union government data reveals that 467 gram panchayats in the state still lack a single computer. Adding to the irony, 111 panchayat offices don't even have broadband access. These glaring gaps raise questions on the state's much-touted "Digital India" push.

The digital divide in India's grassroots democracy came under sharp focus in the Lok Sabha when Samajwadi Party MP Devesh Shakya questioned the government on the lack of basic facilities like computers and internet in Gram Panchayats across states.