New York, June 24 (IANS) Two Indian organisations have been honoured with the United Nations Public Service Excellence Awards 2008 here on the occasion of the UN Public Service Day. One of the two figured Monday among the 12 honoured in the Winners category and the other in six Finalists selected from over 180 innovative programmes from 57 countries.

The Programme of Communitisation of Public Institutions and Services, Nagaland, got the award in the Winners category.

This programme has significantly improved public service delivery in essential services, such as health, education and electricity, through an imaginative empowerment of the user community in a legislative framework. It is also playing a key role in achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals.

A delegation led by India’s Steel Secretary R.S. Pandey, who was earlier chief secretary of Nagaland, received the award on behalf of the programme.

The District Lokvani Society of Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh was selected for a Finalist award for providing information about government services in rural areas and for opening a channel for redressing citizens’ grievances through an online portal.