Bihar's DM chosen for best Electoral practices award

The Election Commission has chosen Bihar's Saran District Magistrate Kundan Kumar for commendable initiatives in achieving 100 per cent photo identity cards to voters and increasing women electorates percentage.
The Saran DM will be among three selected by the Election Commission of India from across the country for the Best Electoral Practices Award, Election Office sources said here today.
President Pranab Mukherjee would present the award on coming Saturday on National Voters Day,
The 38-year-old IAS officer achieved this in a short span of about four-and-a-half months after taking charge of Saran district on August 30, 2013.
RJD President Lalu Prasad's Chhapra Lok Sabha constituency falls in Saran district located on bank of river Ganga, about 75 km from capital Patna. Prasad, however, has been disqualified as member of Parliament after conviction in a fodder scam case and the seat is vacant.

An elated Saran DM said that when he took charge he came to know that 1.33 lakh Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) was not there.

"I took it a challenge to make it 100 per cent and through sustained efforts with the help of district officials achieved it," he told PTI over phone from Chhapra.
A native of Bettiah in West Champaran district of Bihar, Kumar has graduated from Delhi University.
He is first IAS officer from the state to get this prestige. Earlier, in 2011 IPS officer Nishant Kumar Tiwari had got this reward during his tenure as Superintendent of Police of West Champaran district. He is Senior Superintendent of Police of Gaya at present.