PWD Secretary Abhishek Jain emphasized the critical need for building robust and reliable statistical systems to drive effective governance and ensure the timely achievement of development targets. Speaking at a one-day workshop on “Support for Statistical Strengthening (SSS)” held at Kyarighat, Solan, Jain highlighted the importance of data-driven planning in the success of government schemes.
Organized jointly by the Department of Economics and Statistics, Himachal Pradesh, and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, the workshop aimed to enhance the state’s capacity to generate high-quality statistical data. Jain noted that under the SSS scheme, the state receives technical and financial support for data collection, processing, and analysis.
He stressed that the use of modern technology in data management would enable better project monitoring, ensure timely completion, and contribute to cost savings—ultimately boosting the regional economy. He also underlined the importance of standardized, up-to-date data housed within a central repository accessible to all departments and the public.
Economic Advisor Vinod Rana reiterated that a sound statistical infrastructure is crucial for transparent, accountable governance and for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He encouraged departments to produce verifiable, policy-aligned data, especially for GDP estimation and utility planning.
Experts including N.S. Bisht spoke about the challenges in primary data collection. Department representatives from Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture, Forest, and Labour Bureau delivered presentations on various data-related topics.
District-level teams shared strategies and field experiences, with Group One (Chamba, Solan, Kullu) focusing on data collection, Group Two (Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Una) discussing data compilation, and Group Three (Shimla, Sirmaur, Mandi) presenting on dissemination practices.
Presentations also covered areas such as labour statistics, census data, income measurement, and the Himachal Pradesh District Good Governance Index. The workshop saw the participation of key officials from central and state statistical and administrative departments, underscoring a collective push towards more reliable, efficient data systems for governance.
