Himachal CM Sukhu directs IT dept to submit rules for usage of drones

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], April 21 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday directed the state IT Department to submit rules for the usage of drones and added that the state government is committed to introducing drone-enabled governance.

"While presiding over a meeting of the Information Technology Department here today Chief Minister, Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the State Government is committed to introducing drone-enabled governance extensively in different departments to facilitate people of the State and monitoring at different levels," the press release said.

"CM said that the IT department in collaboration with the Drone Company has conducted medical trials in Chamba, Kullu and Mandi districts and the results have been encouraging. He directed the IT to submit the rules proposal regarding the usage of drones within a time period of 15 days," it added.

During the meeting, CM Sukhu mentioned IT department will be the nodal agency for drone operations.

"Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that for drone operations, the IT department would be the nodal agency and Deputy Commissioners of concerned districts would extend logistic support to the concerned department willing to use drone technology," it said.

"He said the Deputy Commissioners would also identify places for developing drone hubs. He said that this would also bring efficiency in the working of the departments.

The Chief Minister said that Drone Technology has significant potential in monitoring law and order, disaster management, supervision of electricity supply lines, agriculture, horticulture, health delivery, road surface condition monitoring, assessment of tourists movement, illicit mining and illicit felling of the tree," it added.

CM Sukhu also mentioned that drone technology will prove to be helpful in snow-bound areas of the state.

"This drone technology will prove to be helpful in snow-bound areas of the state. Also, the training has been imparted to 189 people including 68 officers from Revenue, Forest, Pollution Control Board, Technical Education and Education Departments. He further said that the first Drone Flying Training School is functional in ITI Shahpur and Drone Technician Course has been started in seven government-run ITIs at Mandi, Sirmaur, Shimla, Kangra, Solan (2 ITIs) and Kullu districts," he said.

CM Sukhu also directed the IT department to integrate all the helplines of different departments with the Mukhyamantri Sewa Sanklap-1100 helpline number.

"During the meeting, Chief Minister Sukhu also reviewed various initiatives of the IT department and directed to integrate all the Helplines of different departments except emergency services with Mukhyamantri Sewa Sanklap-1100 Helpline in order to facilitate the people in a better way," it mentioned.

"IT department should take lead in strengthening the digital infrastructure of the State as the State Government has accorded top priority to incorporating the latest technology which would go a long way in facilitating the people to get their benefits in time," it added.

Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, MLAs Vinay Kumar, Neeraj Nayyar, Ajay Solanki, Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Bharat Khera, Secretary IT Abhishek Jain, Director IT Mukesh Repaswal and other senior officers of State Government were also present in the meeting.