Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, CEO of Mission Youth J&K and Secretary to Government, and DC Baramulla Dr Syed Sehrish Asghar have been selected for the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration, India’s highest award in civil services. The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, congratulated the two awardees for their outstanding achievements.
Dr Choudhary has been conferred with the PM award for an unprecedented third time, winning top honours for his innovations among all States and UTs for Mission Youth. Meanwhile, Dr Asghar secured the top spot in the Aspirational Districts category for her exemplary work in Baramulla district.
The Aspirational District Programme in Baramulla, for which Dr Asghar was awarded, included several key initiatives aimed at improving healthcare and financial inclusion for the local population. The establishment of Birth Waiting Wards in Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, and the upgrading of diagnostic services at all delivery points, were some of the highlights of the programme. Additionally, Poshan Tracker Tabs were provided to all Anganwadi workers, further improving healthcare outcomes for the community.
The Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla also supported local farmers by implementing a range of initiatives such as plant protection, nursery strengthening, and the provision of quality planting materials. A marketing facility was established at Sopore, the second-largest Fruit Mandi in Asia, which greatly benefitted local farmers.
Through the Aspirational District Programme, severe acute malnutrition in Baramulla was reduced from 3 percent to 0.01 percent, while moderate acute malnutrition was reduced from 11.93 percent to 0.039 percent. In addition, a two-year paramedical diploma course was introduced for 300 border area students to fill the critical gap in the healthcare sector.
Dr Asghar’s efforts towards financial inclusion were also recognized, with 56,215 PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts opened in Baramulla district.
The Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration recognizes outstanding contributions of civil servants in promoting excellence and innovation in their work. Dr Choudhary and Dr Asghar’s achievements have set a benchmark for others to follow in their pursuit of excellence in public administration.
(Inputs from Excelsior)
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