Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], April 24 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday said that it was a matter of pride for all Uttarakhandis that the Uttarakhand Government Asset Management System (UK-GAMS) has received the Prime Minister's Excellence Award, said a press statement.
This award not only recognised the transparent and accountable administrative system of our government but also showed how governance can be made more effective and public welfare through technology and innovation, added the statement.
"Our goal is to make this model more powerful and implement it in other areas so that Uttarakhand becomes a leading state of digital, transparent, and accountable governance. This award inspires us to work harder," said Dhami.
Uttarakhand Government Asset Management System (UK-GAMS), an innovative initiative of the Uttarakhand government, has been awarded the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2024 under the "Innovation - State category.
Provided by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), the state of Uttarakhand has received this national-level award for the first time in the field of innovation. This important project was started on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, said the statement.
UK-GAMS addresses the challenges of encroachment on government lands, lack of transparency, and accountability through cutting-edge technology. It is an AI-based geospatial monitoring system that digitises, geo-fences, and effectively monitors government assets using high-quality (50 cm resolution) satellite data and an in-house-developed AI model, as mentioned in the statement.
Earlier, due to unorganised records, paper maps, and a lack of information between departments, it was difficult to detect land misuse or encroachment in time. UK-GAMS has changed this situation by integrating all departments on an integrated, dynamic digital platform.
So far, more than 66,000 government assets in all 13 districts of Uttarakhand have been digitised and added to the UK-GAMS platform. 188 land use changes have been identified, and the concerned departments have taken necessary action.
This has increased transparency in the state, stopped unauthorised constructions and accelerated the pace of administrative action between various departments.
This honour is a result of the continuous efforts of the Uttarakhand Space Applications Centre (USAC) team of scientists and their commitment to improving governance in the state through space and geospatial technology solutions.
The project was successfully conceptualised, developed, and implemented under the leadership of Nitika Khandelwal, Director, USAC. The Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), awarded her a certificate of appreciation for her outstanding contribution. Read the statement further.
The ground-level implementation model is also important to the success of this system. Under this model, more than 6,600 field officers and about 1,000 departmental supervisors of more than 60 departments and 47 autonomous bodies of the state have been trained.
This award is not only a matter of pride for the state of Uttarakhand, but also sets a national level example for securing public assets, increasing transparency and ensuring active governance through AI and satellite technology. UK-GAMS can become a model for other states and sectors to follow, safeguarding public assets and strengthening the future of digital governance.