Urban centres in Himachal Pradesh are steadily moving towards becoming AI-enabled smart urban centres while maintaining balance with the state’s mountain ecosystem, Chief Minister’s Principal Advisor (Information Technology and Innovation) Gokul Butail said on Friday.
Butail was delivering the keynote address at the Urban Innovation Summit held in Chandigarh. The summit was inaugurated by Gulab Chand Kataria, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
During the event, Kataria appreciated Himachal Pradesh’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.
Addressing the gathering, Butail said innovation has become essential for sustainable urban development. He said cities in Himachal are gradually integrating Artificial Intelligence and digital platforms to improve governance and deliver services to citizens in a more efficient manner.
Highlighting recent initiatives, he said the Him Seva Portal currently provides more than 550 citizen-centric services with the support of Artificial Intelligence. He added that Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to notify a State Data Hosting Policy, strengthening the use of organised data for governance and policy planning.
Butail said the Him Data Portal and an AI-based document verification system have improved efficiency by enabling faster verification and providing real-time feedback to citizens.
He also referred to digital governance initiatives such as Himsomsa, the Parivar Register and platforms developed for Panchayati Raj and Urban Development, stating that these initiatives are helping the state government achieve direct savings of more than ₹60 crore annually.
Referring to citizen services, he highlighted initiatives like Him Parivar and My Deed. Through My Deed, the state has introduced a fully paperless property registration system that allows citizens to complete property registration digitally without intermediaries.
Butail said the state government remains committed to using technology and innovation to deliver transparent, efficient and citizen-friendly services while ensuring better facilities for people across Himachal Pradesh.
