Ranchi, Jan 29: The Union ministry of rural development has selected Jamtara district of Jharkhand for leadership and teamwork award conferred under the category of District Award for Effective Initiatives under MGNREGS administration.

The selection was made based on the recommendations of around five expert committees. The award will be given at Plenary Hall in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, on February 2, which also happens to be the 9th MGNREGS Diwas.

Joint secretary of the Union ministry of rural development Aparajita Sarangi informed state MGNREGS commissioner Rahul Sharma about the same on Monday.

Jamtara deputy commissioner Chandrashekhar told The Telegraph that he, Sharma and a few other officials would receive the award in New Delhi.

“But, the credit goes to the joint effort of team leaders who had effectively generated awareness about the employment guarantee act, ensured its proper implementation and monitored it well,” Chandrashekhar added.

Jamtara district comprises of six blocks and 22 panchayats.

According to MGNREGS commissioner Sharma there has been consistent effort by gram panchayat members, block officers, NGOs and civil societies. “Those who were involved in the implementation of the scheme had co-ordinated effectively with government officials,” said Sharma.

Co-ordinator of Badlao Foundation — an NGO that has been working in 10 panchayats of the district for the effective implementation of MGNREGA — Asha Rathod said: “When this scheme was first implemented in 2012, only 17 per cent women were covered under this. After two years, 30 per cent women have been linked with this scheme and they are earning their livelihood by land levelling, pond construction, road construction and plantation projects.”

Besides, the NGO has provided job cards to 1,665 women, while as many as 597 new accounts were opened between June 2011 and January 2014 in the post offices.

“Initially, women in the district were not motivated. We had to convince them with the help of government officials and rojgar sevikas,” Rathod added.

Besides Jamtara, districts in Chhattisgarh, Jammu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura and Odisha will also receive award under this category.

However none of the gram panchayats in Jharkhand have been selected under the category Awards for Gram Panchayats.

Under this category, the Union ministry has decided to give 11 awards. Gram panchayats in states like Chhatisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Administration will receive the coveted award.