Saturday, June 4 2005 12:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Delhi Government's 'Bhagidari' programme for partnership with the citizens has won the prestigious United Nations Public Service Award.

This is the first time that an entry from India has been selected for the award.

The citizen-Government partnership programme has won the UN Public Service Award for 2005 for improving transparency, accountability and responsiveness in public service, according to an official release.

The awards were established by the UN in 2000 to recognise institutional contributions made to enhance the role, professionalism and visibility of public service.

After a preliminary screening of hundreds of entries from across the globe, the public service award selection committee reviews the shortlist and submits final recommendations to the UN Secretary General, who approves the list of winners.

This year, Bhagidari was also selected for participation in the UN's sixth Global Conference on Good Governance in Korea.

The winners for the award in the field are judged on the basis of several criteria, which include performance in extending Government service delivery to vulnerable groups.