SHIMLA -5 February, 2025-Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched the ambitious program 'Swachh Shehar Samridh Shehar' and the 'Citizen Service Portal' of Urban Development here today. The Citizen Service Portal an initiative under the One State-One Portal could be accessed using citizenseva.hp.gov.in platform.

Under the Clean City-Prosperous City program, various initiatives will be taken for cleanliness, environmental protection and waste management in the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). Various online public services will be available on the One State, One Portal.

On this occasion, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu termed these initiatives as transformative and said that the aim of launching the Citizen Service Portal was to provide an integrated end-to-end online solution to all the ULBs of the state. Through this, initially nine essential services will be provided, out of which seven services will be in line with the needs of the citizens and two have been designed for the management of the ULBs. The portal will offer various online public services including trade license, property tax management, grievance redressal, booking of community places to the people. In the coming time, 45 services will be provided through this platform.

The Chief Minister said that through the Citizen Service Portal, garbage IDs of 2 lakh 82 thousand households in urban areas would be created for garbage collection and bill issuance. In future, all these registered units will be provided digital identity plates.

He said that the state government was prioritizing ease of living and the Citizen Service Portal reflects the commitment towards the use of technology while ensuring inclusive development. The government is continuously taking transformative steps to make the lives of the people easier and simplify the processes. "Earlier, works were being done using traditional methodology in all the ULBs, but now we have changed our working style, which has also increased their efficiency," said the Chief Minister.

He added that a comprehensive system has been developed in the state for collecting and disposing garbage. Modern facilities are being developed for scientific disposal of garbage. Parks, parking for vehicle and other facilities are being expanded in the ULBs. As a result, Shimla city has secured the first position in the Ease of Living Index in the country. He said that with the cooperation of all citizens, Himachal will be made a model state of e-governance and citizen empowerment. The Chief Minister said that the state government was striving to provide the best healthcare and drinking water facilities to the citizens. He added: "A plan has been prepared to use world-class technology to clean drinking water in the state. In view of this, a project will be started on a pilot basis in Shimla city, in which ozone and UV technology will be used."

The Chief Minister said that from February 10, 2025, Samadhan Shivirs would be organized at the ward level to resolve public grievances in all the ULBs. Awareness programs will also be organized in all the ULBs for two months in the form of Clean City Prosperous City.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister provided financial assistance of 10.62 lakhs per urban local body to the newly formed ULBs to purchase garbage collection vehicles. He also provided POS machines to the ULBs for online payment.

The Chief Minister also released the booklet of IEC Plan of the Urban Development Department.

Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh said that the state government was making continuous efforts to deal with the challenges of urbanization. Development plans are being prepared in the cities with long-term planning so that the goals of inclusive and sustainable development can be achieved. He said that transformative steps were being taken to provide quality facilities to citizens in all urban areas of the state as it was the responsibility of the state government to provide better facilities to all the citizens. He said that a mass awareness campaign has been launched on a large scale for effective waste management and its scientific disposal.

On this occasion, the Urban Development Department signed two MoUs with IIT Ropar and GIZ in view of urban sustainable initiatives. The objective is to work in partnership and coordination on research, innovation, waste management techniques and other subjects so that positive changes in the direction of cleanliness and environmental protection can be brought about on a large scale.

Principal Secretary Urban Development Devesh Kumar and GIZ, Sustainable Urban Development Director Christine Kafenstaner also expressed their views on this occasion.

Director Urban Development Department Dr. Neeraj Kumar expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister and the distinguished guests. A short play based on cleanliness was also presented.

MLA Sanjay Awasthi, Mayor, Municipal Corporation Shimla Surinder Chauhan, representatives of the ULBs and dignitaries were present on the occasion.

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