By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 24 Apr: Uttarakhand has achieved a significant milestone in governance innovation, with the Uttarakhand Government Assets Management System (UK-GAMS) receiving the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2024 under the “Innovation – State” category. This prestigious national recognition, conferred by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), marks a first for Uttarakhand in the domain of technological advancement for public asset management.
UK-GAMS addresses the critical challenges of encroachment on government land and the absence of transparency and accountability by leveraging cutting-edge technology. The platform integrates AI-powered geospatial monitoring, designed to digitise, geofence, and proactively track government-owned land assets using high-resolution satellite imagery (50 cm) and advanced AI/ML models. Previously, fragmented records, paper-based maps, and a lack of interdepartmental coordination hindered timely detection of land misuse or illegal occupation. UK-GAMS has revolutionised this process by consolidating all relevant departments onto a unified, dynamic digital dashboard.
Presently, over 66,000 government assets across 13 districts in Uttarakhand have been georeferenced and integrated into the UK-GAMS platform. This has led to the identification of 188 instances of land-use change, prompting swift action by concerned departments. The initiative has significantly bolstered transparency, prevented unauthorised constructions, and expedited interdepartmental administrative measures.
Guided by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, whose proactive directives ensured the rapid implementation of the project, this honour also acknowledges the exceptional technical and administrative expertise that transformed UK-GAMS into a reality. The Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (USAC) was entrusted with the development and execution of this advanced solution. Under the stewardship of Director Nitika Khandelwal, the project was conceptualised, developed, and rolled out within an impressively short timeframe. In recognition of her pivotal role, Khandelwal received a Letter of Appreciation from the Secretary, DARPG, Government of India.
The system’s success is also attributed to its grassroots implementation model, which has trained over 6,600 field users and 1,000 departmental supervisors, facilitating widespread adoption across 60 government departments and 47 autonomous bodies. Hosted on a secure government cloud, UK-GAMS adheres to international data security protocols to ensure its integrity and accessibility.
This recognition not only brings immense pride to Uttarakhand but also establishes a national benchmark on how AI and satellite technology can be deployed to enhance transparency, prevent encroachment, and enable proactive governance. UK-GAMS stands as a replicable model, offering valuable insights for other states and sectors striving to safeguard public assets and usher in a digitally driven governance era.
