Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], October 23 (ANI): The central government has recommended Uttarakhand's project 'Strengthening Public Financial Management for Improved Service Delivery' for consideration by the World Bank, aimed at enhancing financial transparency, accountability, and service delivery.

An Uttarakhand government release said that the state would receive Rs 680 crore assistance from the World Bank under the project.

The release said that the Department of Economic Affairs (FB Division) of Finance Ministry has formally endorsed the state's ambitious project to the World Bank India Office, New Delhi.

Under this initiative, the Uttarakhand government had proposed external financial assistance of approximately Rs 680 crore (around USD 80 million) from the World Bank to make the state's public financial management system more efficient, transparent, and accountable, while strengthening mechanisms for effective service delivery.

'The proposal has been officially forwarded by the Ministry of Finance to Paul Procee, Acting Country Director, World Bank India, along with a clear recommendation for the Bank's consideration and approval,' the release said.

It said the core objective of this project is to modernise and digitise the state's financial systems to ensure that government schemes and services reach citizens swiftly, accurately, and transparently.

The project will implement structural reforms in financial management, budget control, accounting, expenditure management, and service delivery systems.

Expressing happiness over the endorsement, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that this recommendation reflects strong recognition of Uttarakhand's ongoing efforts toward financial reforms and good governance. He added that the state government is consistently working to ensure that every rupee of public money is spent transparently and responsibly for the welfare of the people.

The Chief Minister noted that the project will bring transformative improvements in fiscal discipline, financial data transparency, and the quality of public service delivery in Uttarakhand.

According to the State Finance Department, the initiative will give new momentum to e-governance and digital public finance management in the state. It will strengthen financial discipline, real-time monitoring, and reporting mechanisms across all departments.

This initiative represents a historic milestone in Uttarakhand's journey toward becoming a financially robust, transparent, and accountable state, the release said.

With the support of the Centre and the World Bank, the project will reinforce the state's financial and administrative systems while ensuring efficient and citizen-centric delivery of public services, it added. (ANI)