SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UDD) has secured two prestigious SKOCH National Awards—Gold and Silver—for its digital governance initiatives aimed at improving public service delivery and strengthening technology-driven administration.
Both projects were conceptualised and implemented under the guidance of Commissioner/Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Mandeep Kaur, IAS, with a focus on enhancing transparency, efficiency and citizen-centric governance across the urban development sector.
On behalf of the department, Chief Informatics Officer and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Ankush Kapoor, received the awards during the SKOCH Awards Ceremony held in New Delhi.
The awards were conferred for two flagship projects—the Automated Building Permission System (ABPS) using AutoDCR technology integrated with GIS-based land-use verification, and the J&K Gati Shakti GIS Asset Mapping System for comprehensive GIS-based asset mapping, monitoring and infrastructure planning.
According to the department, the Automated Building Permission System has transformed the building approval process by introducing automated scrutiny of building plans through AutoDCR technology linked with GIS-based land-use verification. The system has reduced processing time, improved transparency, ensured compliance with planning regulations and enhanced ease of doing business for citizens and stakeholders.
The J&K Gati Shakti GIS Asset Mapping System has enabled digital mapping and monitoring of public infrastructure assets across Urban Local Bodies and government agencies. The platform supports evidence-based planning, inter-departmental coordination, efficient asset management and informed decision-making through advanced GIS technology.
Officials said both initiatives have significantly improved public service delivery, monitoring mechanisms and data-driven governance across Jammu and Kashmir.
Following the award ceremony, Ankush Kapoor formally presented the SKOCH Gold and Silver Awards to Commissioner/Secretary Mandeep Kaur in Srinagar in recognition of her leadership and support in steering the projects from conception to implementation and national recognition.
Mandeep Kaur appreciated the efforts of officers, technical teams, Urban Local Bodies and other stakeholders associated with the projects and reiterated the department’s commitment to leveraging technology for transparent, efficient and citizen-centric governance.
The department said the national recognition reinforces Jammu and Kashmir’s growing reputation in digital governance and reflects its continued efforts towards building a modern, technology-driven and responsive urban administration.
