Patna (IANS): A five-year programme to reform governance in Bihar, with support from the British government's Department For International Development (DFID), will be launched next week.

Britain's Secretary of State for International Development, Douglas Alexander along with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar would launch the programme here Nov 18. Titled 'Governance Mission', it is meant to improve governance and administration in the state, official sources said.

“The DFID will provide 18 million pounds for the programme which aims to improve governance and administration in the state,” Chris Charmers, a senior programme manager with the DFID, said.

The DFID would provide technical expertise and finance to ensure implementation of administrative reforms, he added.

Amir Subhani, the secretary of the state's Personnel and Administrative Reforms department, said that initially five departments including Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Land and Revenue, Human Resource, Registration and Commercial Taxes, had been selected for the programme which will foster transparency, e-governance, better delivery of government services and accounting.

Subhani made it clear that state government has formulated an agenda of its own to improve governance.

In June this year, DFID signed an MoU with the Bihar government to invest up to 100 million pounds on improving urban and health services in the state over the next five years.

The DFID will work in partnership with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to begin its engagement with the governance reform programme in Bihar.