Highlighting the need for rejuvenating Community Information Centres (CICs), Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday directed merging their functioning with the established Panchayati Raj System in the state.

The basic idea of establishing CIC was to bring in e-governance at block levels and keep generated information available to the people for various purposes in the process of development, Omar said addressing a high-level meeting to discuss the issue of strengthening and upgrading CICs in Srinagar.

"These centres are to act as a data bank and digital route for filing reports and receiving information," he said directing for integration of the Panchayati Raj System with the functioning of CICs.

The Chief Minister asked the Information Technology and Rural Development Departments to jointly work out a viable model to use the CICs as block centres for dissemination of vital information to the people in rural areas particularly agriculturists.

He said information regarding weather, cropping pattern, market trends and other aspects can be obtained and provided to the people through these centres besides other such information.

Minister for Rural Development Ali Mohammad Sagar, addressing the meeting, said upgradation of the functioning of CICs to benefit the Panchayati Raj System established in the state need to be worked out in a time-bound manner.

He said a strategy has to be worked out to bring these centres at par to the growing needs of people in rural areas so as to strengthen e-governance.