Chief Secretary V.C. Pharka stressed the need for providing online facility to all the Drawing & Disbursing Officers (DDOs) of the State during next four years so as to ensure cent-percent cashless transactions. He also emphasized upon to reducing the number of DDOs, which is more than 4400.Chief Secretary was launching the World Bank aided 'H.P. Public Financial Management & Capacity Building Programme', here today. He said The World Bank under this programme has assigned a loan of 36 million USD, whereas 20 percent would be borne by the State Government thereby making the project cost to Rs. 45 million USD. The programme would be implemented between 2017 to 2022. He said Himachal Pradesh is the first State in the country to get this project as the State has the good linkage with World Bank which has appreciated various indicators of the state. He extended his gratitude to the World Bank Team for sanctioning this project.He said there is a need of good financial management, proper audit and utilization of funds. He said all Departments should be linked to e-procurement system which has already been started in Irrigation & Public Health and Public Works Departments. He said the problem of connectivity still remains in the remote areas of the State and the Information & Technology Department has put the efforts to sort out this problem by improving and expanding HIMSWAN across the State.
Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) Dr. Shrikant Baldi said that effective measures would be adopted for implementation of the project under the technical guidance of World Bank. All the DDOs would be connected in the chain and imparted training.He said the project would go a long way in proper management of public finances. He informed that public financial rules have been formed in the State and now there is a need to focus on proper implementation of this programme. He said all treasuries in the State were already on-line.Principal Accountant General of Himachal Pradesh Shri Kulwant Singh, informed that at present data was being received both manual and electronic modes and intended to automate this process to go paperless. He said pension record from 1946 has been fully digitized.World Bank Team Leader Shri Tarun Mathur complimented the State for achieving better indicators in implementation of various projects, programmes and policies. He expressed happiness that the State has given thrust on the major issues NIC and IT development.The Departments of Information & Technology, Excise & Taxations, NIC, Irrigation & Public Health, Public Works also gave their presentations.Special Secretary (Finance) Shri D.D. Sharma conducted the proceedings and presented vote of thanks.Additional Chief Secretary Tarun Kapoor, Principal Secretary Shri Jagdish Sharma, Sr. Technical Director NIC Shri Ajay Chahal, Officers of Excise & Taxation, Treasuries & Accounts, IPH, PWD, IT, NIC were present on the occasion.