Beaureaucrats to get PM's award for promoting digital payments

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi would award select bureaucrats from across the country for promoting central government's key programmes, including promotion of digital payments, on the occasion of civil services day in April, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

A total of 2,010 applications have been received from various officers for Prime Minister's awards for excellence in public administration, it said.The civil services day is celebrated on April 21, every year, where bureaucrats rededicate themselves to public service and awards for excellence in public administration are also conferred.

This is preceded by one day event on April 20 where discussions are held on relevant topics of public administration and it is attended by large cross section of civil servants.

Four priority programmes -- Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Promoting Digital Payments, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban & Rural, and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY) -- have been identified for the awards to be presented on civil services day 2018.

Under the priority programmes category, 2,010 applications have been received from 623 districts across states/ Union territories, the statement from personnel ministry said.
Of the total entries, 453 are for the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, 258 for promoting digital payments, 665 and 412 entries for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana" Urban & Rural respectively, it said.

A total of 222 entries have been received for Deen Dayal Upadhayay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, the statement said.

"A new category of awards for Additional Secretary/Joint Secretary level officers and Director/Deputy Secretary serving in Government of India has also been introduced this year to recognise their contribution towards bringing about transformational improvements in processes/systems through simplification and process re-engineering etc," it said.

Two awards shall also be given to organisations of central/state government/district for innovations in environment conservation, disaster management, water conservation, energy, education and health, women and child centric initiatives etc.Out of these, one award is earmarked for an aspirational district, the statement said.

Under this innovation category, 999 applications have been received from various organisation out of which 138 entries are from aspirational districts, it said.

In order to sustain efforts towards a better public administration, it is paramount to support each initiative of this kind, to encourage innovation in each public institution, to motivate civil servants and strengthen various central and state government organisations to help bridge the gaps in the existing systems and make the system more transparent, the statement said.

It is also expected that best awarded initiatives will, be replicated wherever possible either by the districts or other organisations depending upon its suitability, it said.