Shimla, March 13 Urban centers in Himachal Pradesh are steadily transforming into AI-enabled smart cities while maintaining balance with the state's unique mountain ecosystem, Principal Advisor for Information Technology and Innovation to the Chief Minister, Gokul Butail, said on Friday.
Addressing the Urban Innovation Summit held in Chandigarh, Butail emphasized that innovation is essential for sustainable urban development.
He highlighted the Him Seva Portal, stating that the platform currently delivers more than 550 citizen-centric services with the support of artificial intelligence (AI).
He said that Himachal Pradesh is the first state in the country to notify a state data hosting policy, strengthening the use of organized data for better governance and policy planning, according to a statement issued here.
Butail further said that the Him Data Portal and an AI-based document verification system have significantly improved efficiency by enabling faster verification and real-time feedback for citizens.
He said that digital governance initiatives such as Himsomsa, the Parivar Register, and platforms for Panchayati Raj and urban development are helping the state government achieve direct savings of over Rs 60 crore annually.
Referring to citizen-focused digital services, he highlighted initiatives like Him Parivar and My Deed. Through My Deed, Himachal Pradesh has introduced a fully paperless property registration system, allowing citizens to complete registration processes digitally without intermediaries, he said.
During the event, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria appreciated Himachal's progress in technology-driven governance and encouraged representatives from other states to study the state's data-driven governance model as a benchmark for effective administration.