K SMART: 9 Lakh Applications Cleared in an Hour; People Who are Stuck in Old Days Won’t Believe It, Says M B Rajesh

Thiruvananthapuram: Minister for Local Self-Government M B Rajesh has said that services were delivered to the public after completing necessary checks within just one hour for 9,14,004 applications submitted through the K-SMART platform. He added that those who find this hard to believe are welcome to log into the K-SMART portal themselves and see how it functions.

“Processing nine lakh applications in an hour? Some people simply can’t believe it because they are still mentally stuck in an old era. They have failed to realise that the days of files piled up on desks (of officers) are over,” the minister wrote in a social media post. Referring to online trolls, he said that today files meant for ‘bundling and burning’, as trolls joke, exist not on paper but on computers. “If they stepped out of Facebook and visited a local panchayat office even once, all their doubts would disappear,” he added.

The minister began his post with the remark, “They don’t even realise that they are trolling themselves—forgive them.” Highlighting the transformation brought by digital governance, he pointed out that a husband living in Dubai and a wife in Kochi can now register their marriage through video KYC without visiting a panchayat office. Witnesses can certify the marriage using OTP verification.

Similarly, for house construction, citizens no longer need to run from office to office for permits. If an application is submitted in accordance with the law, the software itself grants the building permit within minutes, allowing construction to begin immediately. The minister said that accessing any local body service from anywhere in the world with just a fingertip is now a reality, used daily by lakhs of people.

Responding to criticism of the project, Rajesh said the K-SMART initiative, which is accelerating Kerala’s development, is being attacked despite its proven success. He advised UDF supporters who are trolling the system to ask their own leaders who are local body chairpersons or officials who have direct access to the platform, to understand the vast possibilities K-SMART offers.

The minister also noted that recognising the strength of this model, the Central government and several other state governments have been visiting Kerala to study K-SMART and explore replicating the system elsewhere.