Kullu (HP), Aug 15 (IANS): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday awarded the prestigious civil services award to Lalit Jain, Director, Rural Development and Panchayats, for his work for the self-help groups.

The award was given at the state-level Independence Day function here.

Jain is a 2011 batch IAS officer who started his stint in Himachal Pradesh as Block Development Officer in Paragpur. It is here that the self-help groups caught his attention and he started a number of such groups to make pickles.

Later in his career, he served in various positions, including SDM in Nalagarh, the Commissioner of the Dharamsala Municipal Corporation and the Deputy Commissioner of Sirmaur.

It was in Sirmaur where as a head of the district that Jain got a chance to work and improve the lives of the rural womenfolk.

He started the pattal project for livelihood promotion among the women that became a huge success as pattals (eating plates made of dried leaves) made by the women were used in the Janmanch programme.

Besides, the women were also organised into making sanitary napkins.

As the Director of Rural Development, Jain also continued with his focus on rural women through the state rural liveihood mission, the impact of which could be seen during the lockdown when women started making masks, PPE kits and sanitisers in various parts of the state.

As per the department figures, business worth Rs 40 lakh was done by the women during the lockdown.

Jain told IANS that he dedicated this project to the rural women who work hard for their livelihood in various remote corners of the state.