: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who is in Bahrain to receive the United Nations global award for public service, today met crown prince Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa and discussed issues relating to Keralities in that country.
During the meeting, Al-Khalifa requested Chandy to bring to his notice any problems or issues faced by Keralities in Bahrain, a press release from the Chief Minister's office said here today.
Khalifa also recalled his visit to Kerala a few months back and said 'it was a historic visit', the release said.
Chandy is scheduled to receive the award from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. This is the first time the UN award for public service is being distributed at a venue in a Gulf country.
The Chief Minister was selected for his mass contact programme from among entries from 50 Asia-Pacific countries.
Chandy's mass contact programme has been widely lauded as a unique democratic experiment in which the Chief Minister of an Indian state met thousands of people directly without any intermediaries.
He received upto 5.5 lakh petitions, of which around three lakh were resolved, and distributed financial assistance of Rs 22.68 crore as part of the programme.
Since 2003, UN has been giving the award as part of its programme for Public Service Day, observed on June 23. The awards, instituted through a UN resolution, are announced after a three-tier scrutiny and detailed examination.
