New Delhi: Sikkim was on Sunday given Prime Minister`s Award for excellence in Public Administration for extraordinary and innovate work done for rural development.
The country`s highest award for excellence in public administration was presented by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Sikkim`s Secretary for Rural Development and Management D R Nepal at a function held here on civil services day.
"Sikkim is the only state in the North-east to get this highest award for excellence in public administration for the year 2011-12," an official release said.
The state has been conferred with the national level prestigious award for its initiative "Excellence in Rural Management and Development in challenging physical environment of the Sikkim Himalaya" and for achieving visible contribution made in improving the quality of life of the rural people in the state.
Sikkim is the first and only "Nirmal Rajya" in the country to achieve hundred per cent success under Total Sanitation Programme in 2008.
At least 87.2 percent of the household have access to toilets within their homes (2011 census) as compared to 36.3 percent in the year 2001.
In Sikkim, poverty has reduced from 30.9 percent (2004-05) to 13.1 percent (2009-10) which is significantly lower than national average of 29.8 percent in 2009-10.
The 17.8 percent rate of poverty reduction in Sikkim is second best in the country.
A significant BPL population of 90,000 persons have been brought above poverty line during these years in the state and the rate of poverty reduction is 3.6 percent which is double than national average of 1.5 percent.
The accessibility to tap water has been increased from 70.3 percent in 2001 to 85.3 percent in 2011.
PTI
