Now, government to reward babus for efficient implementation of projects like 'Swachh Bharat'

NEW DELHI: From this year, excellence in administering Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s priority programmes such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana or Soil Health Card scheme could fetch bureaucrats an award from the PM himself.

Bureaucrats who have ensured reduction in zero balance accounts under the Jan-Dhan Yojana or whose districts saw improvement in attendance of girls due to construction of toilets under Swachh schools programme could be the front runners for bagging such awards, as per the criteria spelt out by the government.

The main criteria include efficient and corruption-free implementation of the priority programmes. The Centre has decided to introduce a new category in the Prime Minister’s Awards given to bureaucrats each year on Civil Services Day in April for ‘Excellence in Public Administration’.

This new category will be PM’s Awards for ‘Excellence in Implementation of Priority Programme’.

A screening will evaluate districts or implementing units for such programmes and decide on awarding an individual officer or a team of bureaucrats for the model implementation.

Efforts undertaken to promote awareness of accident insurance cover and Rupay card activation will be key to officials bagging an award for successful implementation of the Jan-Dhan Yojana.

Bureaucrats will also be tested on reduction in zero balance accounts, especially those of women, efforts in implementing the scheme in difficult geographical terrains and below poverty line numbers, the number of Aadhaar seeding done and availability of the Bank Mitras to the account subscribers.