(From left) Dola Banerjee, Shradha Das and Deepak Tirkey pose after receiving awards during the Foundation Day celebrations at Morabadi on Saturday. Picture by Manik Bose

Ranchi, Nov. 15: The awardees were elated at having been chosen for felicitation by the government. Yet, many of them felt a tinge of pain because they were not called on to the stage to be felicitated by chief minister Shibu Soren during the state’s Foundation Day celebrations here.

The government had shortlisted persons who performed their tasks with exemplary dedication in their chosen fields. The awards — a citation and reward in cash — covered the entire range from village-level sevikas to health workers to Olympians like Dola Banerjee and IIT entrance examination topper from Giridih, Seeti Kanth. The idea was to honour those who have brought laurels to the state and contributed to its growth and development.

From every district three para-teachers, three heads of gram siksha samitis, three female conveners of anganwadis, and three high school teachers, three college and university teachers, those involved in fishery, piggery, artificial insemination of cattle, village-level forest protection committees, village health committees were chosen.

Three progressive farmers Meenu Mahto (Rs 5 lakh), Sheonarain Sahu (Rs 3 lakh) and Simon Oraon (Rs 1 lakh) received cash awards according to the list. Similarly, 14 sportspersons were given Rs 10,000 in cash, a shawl and a certificate. The list included Olympian Dola Banerjee (archery), Virendra Lakra in (hockey), Sourabh Tiwary (cricket), Mangal Champia (archery), Purnima Mahto (archery), Anthrex Lakra (boxing), Pronita (archery), Ajit Singh (boxing), Somra Oraon (athletics), Adline Kerketta (hockey), Santosh Oraon (football), Krishna Khalkho (football), Krishna Bhagat (football) and Savitry Purty (hockey). Among sportspersons only Dola and Adline were called on to the stage.

Among 25 artists, writers, playwrights and dance maestros only Shradha Das (singer) who shot to fame through Sa-Re-Ga-Ma Little Champ, Deepak Tirkey, who won the Chak De Bachche competition and Padmashree awardee Shyamcharan Pati (exponent of Chhau dance) were called on to the stage.

The felicitation programme started more than an hour-and-a-half late around 3.45pm, because Soren and other ministers arrived late. Dressed in their best, some of the awardees from outside the city had left their homes at five in the morning and had travelled for about five hours to reach here. But on reaching the venue, they were shocked when citations and bank drafts were given to them much before the actual ceremony.

“It would have been much better to send these citations and bank drafts to our office,” said a disappointed gram siksha samiti awardee, who was dressed immaculately in white and who had touched his citation letter to his forehead as a mark of respect.