Ahmedabad, Dec 12 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has approved a minimum payment of Rs 20 per unit of work for Village Computer Entrepreneurs (VCEs) engaged under the stateâ??s e-Gram Vishwagram programme. The decision was taken during the 12th Governing Body meeting of the e-Gram Vishwagram Society in Gandhinagar, where the Chief Minister emphasised the need to bring parity in remuneration for VCEs who deliver essential e-governance services in villages.VCEs handle a wide range of digital tasks for rural citizens -- including copies of land records (7/12, 8-A and Hak Patrak), farmer registrations, procurement entries for agricultural produce, birth and death certificates, income certificates, ration card updates, and various online applications. They are also entrusted with data-entry work for multiple government schemes. Until now, payments to VCEs varied widely because each government department set its own commission rates for different tasks. This often resulted in inconsistent and unequal compensation for the same amount of effort across departments.

Taking cognisance of the issue, the Chief Minister directed officials to standardise the payment structure to ensure that every VCE receives at least Rs 20 per unit of work, regardless of the department assigning the task. Following his instructions, the Panchayat Department has issued an official circular mandating all state departments to comply with the revised minimum payment rule. Departments have also been asked to inform both the Panchayat Department and the e-Gram Vishwagram Society before assigning any work to VCEs. The move is expected to provide more stable and equitable earnings for thousands of young digital entrepreneurs who form the backbone of last-mile service delivery in rural Gujarat.

Gujaratâ??s villages are a blend of rich heritage, vibrant culture, and strong grassroots development, spread across diverse regions like Kutch, Saurashtra, North and Central Gujarat. Each village has its own identity -- whether itâ??s the craft clusters of Kutch known for embroidery and mud-work, the lush agricultural belts of Anand and Kheda famous for dairy farming, or the coastal settlements of Saurashtra shaped by fishing and maritime traditions.

/IANS