Digital governance must make public services simpler, faster and citizen-centric: Sukhu

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said that the good governance was must for government and the true success of e-governance lies not in technological complexity but in its ability to make life easier for ordinary citizens, particularly those living in remote and underserved areas.

Addressing the two-day national conference on administrative reforms and e-governance in Dharamshala, attended by senior administrators, policymakers and technology experts from across the country, he said that we must move beyond traditional bureaucracy towards a transparent, accountable and citizen-centric system of governance.

The Chief Minister said that upon assuming office, the present state government made it clear that its purpose was not to enjoy the perks of power, but with aim of ‘Vyavastha Parivartan’ to transform Himachal Pradesh into the most prosperous and self-reliant state in the country within a few years, ensuring that the state’s resources benefit the common people. ‘We have leveraged e-governance to enhance public services and ensure that the benefits of various schemes reach the grassroots level, directly impacting the lives of the general public,’ he added.

Sh. Sukhu said that guided by a clear policy vision, his government had taken several systemic decisions which had been appreciated even at the national level. Prioritizing qualitative improvements in education from pre-nursery to the 10+2 level, the state government’s efforts have propelled Himachal Pradesh to the fifth position nationwide in the education sector, a significant leap from the 21st position held in 2021 under the previous BJP government.

He said that placing the health sector as its second-highest priority, the state government introduced robotic surgery facilities in its medical institutions and also initiated the replacement of medical equipment that was 15 to 19 years old. These efforts have brought world-class healthcare services to our medical colleges, sparing people the compulsion to travel to other states for expensive medical treatment. Furthermore, to ensure an adequate presence of specialist doctors in hospitals, the number of postgraduate (PG) seats had been increased besides raising the salaries of specialist doctor and hundreds of posts of doctors and para-medical staff was filled up on priority.

The Chief Minister said that since 90 percent of the state’s population resides in rural areas, the government had made the strengthening of the rural economy its third-highest priority. With the objective of ensuring a respectable increase in the income of the rural population, several historic decisions have been taken including the implementation of the highest Minimum Support Price (MSP) for cow and buffalo milk in the country. Natural farming was being promoted on a large scale and naturally grown wheat was being procured at Rs. 80 per kg, raw turmeric at Rs. 150 per kg, maize at Rs. 50 per kg and ginger at Rs. 30 per kg.

The Chief Minister said the state had expanded citizen services through the Single Window Citizen Portal, enabling people to access various government services from home or through Lok Mitra Kendras. The CM Helpline and grievance redressal portals had made officials more accountable, ensuring that complaints received from remote areas were addressed by the concerned authorities and were not treated as resolved until the complainants were satisfied.

He said that revenue-related disputes, including mutation, partition and demarcation of land, had long caused hardship to people across the state. The Revenue Management System and revenue Lok Adalats had helped improve transparency and accelerate the resolution of thousands of pending cases.

Mentioning the initiatives of the state government on social security sector, Sh. Sukhu said that orphaned children had been granted the legal status of ‘Children of the State.’ He said the government had assumed responsibility for their education, maintenance, higher studies, coaching, clothing, marriage and housing. He said that the state government was also providing loans at an interest rate of just one percent to students from families with an annual income of up to Rs. 12 lakh. Under this scheme, students could avail a loans of up to Rs. 20 lakh to pursue their studies anywhere in India or abroad. He also highlighted that another key commitment of the state government is the vision of a ‘Green Himachal,’ which includes the promotion of electric buses.

Drawing attention to the geographical and environmental challenges faced by the hill states, the Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh’s forests, rivers and hydropower resources contribute significantly to the nation’s environmental and energy security, while the state bears a disproportionate share of the costs associated with natural disasters and ecological conservation. He called for a fair assessment of hill state’s contribution to national development and equitable consideration of their interests in hydropower projects, royalty, water cess and central financial assistance. He said Himachal Pradesh would continue to pursue its legitimate rights through constructive engagement, facts and constitutional means.

He expressed gratitude to the Government of India’s Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), the organizers and the state administrative team for choosing Dharamshala. He said the conference would help shape an inclusive digital governance framework for a self-reliant and developed India, ensuring that the benefits of technology reach the last citizen.

Earlier, in her welcome address, Secretary of the DARPG Nivedita Shukla Verma stated that all the states including Himachal Pradesh had been doing remarkable work in administrative reforms. She stressed the need for large scale implementation of various innovations through frequent interactions and exchange of ideas.

Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh Kamlesh Kumar Pant stressed the need for upgrading the technologies in regular intervals to facilitate the citizens in a transparent and responsive manner.

Secretary, Administrative Reforms Shainamol A. addressed the session on the best practices of Himachal Pradesh, while Health Secretary Ashish Singhmar on the National Award for e-Governance, as well as digital transformation and innovation driven by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

The session on ‘National Awards for e-Governance- State and District Levels’ was addressed by Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment and Women and Child Development Department C.P. Verma.

Additional Secretary, DARPG,Puneet Yadav presented the vote of thanks.

Agriculture Minister Prof. Chander Kumar, Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh, Ayush Minister Yadvinder Goma, Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania, Chairman, HP Tourism Development Board RS Bali, Principal Advisor (Digital Technologies Governance & Innovation) to the Chief Minister Gokul Butail, Vice Chairman, Planning Board Bhawani Singh Pathania, MP Anurag Sharma, MLA’s Aashish Butail, Suresh Kumar and Malender Rajan, DC Hemraj Bairwa and MC Commissioner Dharamshala Zaffar Iqbal were also present on this occasion.