Himachal govt plans to establish Cyber City at Waknaghat

The Himachal Pradesh government is planning to establish a Cyber City over 650 bighas of land at Waknaghat in Solan district.

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced this while chairing a high-level meeting of the Digital Technologies and Governance Department on Friday.

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He said that the proposed Cyber City will serve as a hub for data storage, artificial intelligence (AI), and other IT-based enterprises, giving a major boost to the state’s digital economy and employment generation.

The Chief Minister directed the department to finalise the detailed blueprint of the project at the earliest.

He said that the IT sector has been identified as a key focus area, and the government is taking concrete measures to promote technological innovation and attract investments in digital infrastructure across Himachal Pradesh.

Reviewing the ongoing construction of the Centre of Excellence at Waknaghat, Sukhu directed officials to expedite the work and ensure the establishment of an AI laboratory within the centre. He also instructed that the IT Parks at Chaitaru in Kangra and Mehli in Shimla be completed by December 2025.

Emphasising the importance of digital transformation in governance, the Chief Minister said that all departments must digitise their operations to provide efficient and citizen-friendly services. “The state government aims to deliver maximum public services at the doorstep of the people through a single click,” he said, adding that every department must adopt IT-based systems and the e-Office platform to enhance transparency and efficiency.

The Chief Minister also directed the department to organise training workshops to familiarise government officials with e-file management and emerging technologies, encouraging their effective implementation across departments.

He further instructed that nodal officers be appointed in every department to monitor the online progress of government announcements and reiterated that all officers of the Secretariat must mandatorily mark their attendance to ensure accountability and discipline.