Kasauli: The Himachal Pradesh Jal Shakti Department is intensifying its efforts to strengthen digital governance and the e-office system to improve transparency, efficiency and timely delivery of drinking water and irrigation projects, Principal Secretary Dr. Abhishek Jain said on Wednesday.
Addressing a one-day workshop on “Digital Governance and Contract Management” organised by the Shimla Zone of the Jal Shakti Department in Kasauli, Dr. Jain said the state government is committed to ensuring that the benefits of drinking water and irrigation schemes reach eligible beneficiaries without delay.
He said digitisation has transformed government functioning by improving planning, project execution and administrative efficiency. The department has already integrated all Executive Engineer offices with the e-office platform, enabling digital handling of administrative work, contract management and official communication.
To further strengthen the system, Dr. Jain directed officials to digitise all Assistant Engineer offices within the next 15 days, saying the move would enhance accountability, transparency and faster decision-making.
Emphasising public participation, he urged local communities to actively support drinking water and irrigation projects to ensure their timely completion. He said greater community involvement would help remove project bottlenecks and maximise the benefits of government schemes.
Highlighting the growing pressure on water resources, Dr. Jain called for a long-term water management strategy. He instructed engineers to conserve traditional water sources such as baolis, ponds, wells and lakes, conduct regular inspections and submit reports through email for prompt action.
The Principal Secretary also directed Jal Shakti officials to attend Gram Panchayat meetings regularly and ensure that consumer complaints are resolved within 10 days.
During the workshop, Dr. Jain distributed certificates to participants and honoured field staff for their outstanding contribution to the department.
Chief Engineer of the Central Jal Shakti Commission, Chandigarh, A.K. Gupta, and Chief Engineer, Jal Shakti Department, Shimla Region, Mukesh Hira, addressed the participants on key departmental initiatives.
Technical sessions were conducted by senior officers, including Superintending Engineer Rajiv Mahajan on project financing and infrastructure development, Sanjeev Soni on administrative restructuring and workflow modernisation, Vijay Kashyap on environmental protection and forest land administration, Hoshiyar Singh on contract management and project implementation, Rajinder Singh on digital transformation of office functioning, and Sumit Sood on the Ready-HP project.
