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Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated that Himachal Pradesh has emerged as the top state in the country in the effective use of information technology to make public services accessible, transparent, and time-bound. He said that even in the remotest and tribal areas of the state, most government services are now available to citizens at the click of a mouse, marking a historic achievement in good governance.
The Chief Minister was addressing the General House meeting of the Society for Promotion of IT and e-Governance in Himachal Pradesh (SITEG) on Monday evening. He conducted a detailed review of the department's IT applications and directed officers to make these systems more citizen-friendly, secure, and effective. Reviewing the 'Him Upasthiti' application, developed to ensure attendance of employees working in various departments of the state government, the Chief Minister directed that it be further enhanced to ensure its efficiency, transparency and reliability. He also directed that registration of all state government employees on the 'Him Access Portal' be made mandatory and instructed that all employees must complete their registration within one month. Launching the Asset Mapping Application, the Chief Minister said the initiative would provide comprehensive, up-to-date information on citizens' properties, significantly supporting infrastructure development, effective policy formulation, and improved resource management. Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu further stated that an Artificial Intelligence-based document verification and validation system is being integrated into the Him Seva Portal to ensure faster, more efficient delivery of revenue services. This system will serve as a first-line review mechanism, empowering revenue officers while providing citizens with smoother, more transparent services. Currently, revenue services rely on manual verification of a high volume of applications, placing an excessive workload on officers. Minor errors in documents, such as unclear photographs or incorrect formatting, often lead to application rejection. As a result, officers spend substantial time on preliminary checks, and citizens are compelled to make repeated visits to government offices. The AI-based system will automatically scan documents during upload and instantly verify that they are clear, correctly formatted, and complete, including all required details such as signatures. It will also cross-verify personal information entered in the application, such as name, date of birth and Aadhaar number, with the uploaded documents and flag any discrepancies. In case of deficiencies, applicants will receive immediate feedback before submission, enabling them to rectify errors in real time. This initiative will significantly enhance the applicant experience by eliminating unnecessary rejections. At the same time, it will relieve revenue officers from routine administrative scrutiny, allowing them to focus on substantive verification of eligibility and facts. Consequently, application disposal will be faster, and applications reaching officers will be essentially ready for approval. The Chief Minister also directed that comprehensive mapping under the Him Parivar Portal be ensured at the panchayat level, including socio-economic data and integration with all state government welfare schemes. He added that land-related data would also be incorporated into the portal to ensure transparent and targeted delivery of benefits to eligible beneficiaries. Highlighting the future roadmap, the Chief Minister said the state government is gradually integrating Artificial Intelligence and blockchain technologies into e-governance, with future requirements in mind. He noted that AI-based systems would improve service quality, enhance decision-making accuracy, and expedite grievance resolution. At the same time, blockchain technology would bring transformative improvements in data security, transparency and record management. He reiterated that the government's objective is to build a smart, digital and future-ready Himachal Pradesh, where governance is more accountable, efficient and citizen-centric. The Chief Minister also directed an increase in the number of Lok Mitra Kendras in the state, describing them as the backbone of public service delivery in rural and remote areas. He emphasised the need for time-bound resolution of issues faced by Lok Mitra Kendra operators to ensure better, uninterrupted service for the public. Chief Minister's Principal Advisor (DTG & Innovation) Gokul Butail informed that Himachal Pradesh has received special recognition for its visionary digital governance initiative, the "Him Parivar Project," at Deloitte's flagship government conference 'Aarohan 2025'. He said that the state has strategically leveraged digital technologies to establish a future-oriented, transparent and citizen-focused governance framework. The meeting was attended by the Chief Minister's Principal Advisor (DTG & Innovation), Gokul Butail; Additional Chief Secretary K.K. Pant; Shyam Bhagat Negi; Secretaries from various departments; and other senior officers. (ANI)
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