A unique programme in Nagaland, which aimed at and achieved community participation in local governance, has been selected for a top UN award for public service. The award will be given to Union Steel Secretary RS Pandey tomorrow at New York, on the occasion of the UN Public Service Day. Pandey will be given the award for his pioneering efforts, during his stint as the Nagaland Chief Secretary in 2002-04, for better public utilities. The programme, conceptualized and implemented by Pandey during 2002-04, has resulted in significant improvement in government-provided basic services in the areas of elementary education, public health and power utilities, with the community participation. The IAS officer from India is among 12 winners from different parts of the world this year. He had also won the Civil Service Award last year for the innovative programme. Nagaland is the only award winner from the Asia Pacific region in the category of fostering participation in policy-making decisions through innovative mechanism. The concept of communitisation was introduced in 2002-03 and after enactment of Nagaland Communitisation Act on public institutions and services the same year, the government in phases handed over ownership and management of education, health care, water supply, electricity, tourism and bio-diversity conservation to the communities.