17 new services in MeeSeva

• 2 crore Mee Seva transactions celebrated
• Digvijay praises CM
• Indira Gandhi's 20-point programme fine-tuned
• Kiran promises to reach out to 1 crore more people

Calling Meeseva a role model for the country, AICC General Secretary in-charge of AP Digvijay Singh wanted it to be implemented in every State. With 150 different kinds of certificates and schemes being covered at over 7,500 centres spread across the State, Meeseva has emerged as a model, he observed at a programme organized here on Monday to celebrate the achievement of two crore Meeseva transactions .

Digvijay Singh, who was the chief guest at the event, lauded the efforts of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in this direction. He said that the State now has the best practices in governance and a good mechanism to deliver services to the poor and the ultimate beneficiaries. Andhra Pradesh is the leader in innovative technology and puts it to best use, he said and added, "The Meeseva is an outreach of government to throw corruption and bring transparency in the system." Exuding confidence over the performance of the State government which was rated first for the third consecutive year in implementing 20-point programme, Digvijay Singh said that under the Kiran Kumar government the scheme launched by Dr Rajasekhara Reddy only got improved.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh and other dignataries at the 20-point programme Commemoration event and new Meeseva services launch in Hyderabad on Monday. Picture shows Vani Prasad, outgoing Collector of Ranga Reddy district, receiving an award.

He recalled that on this very day in 1975, Indira Gandhi started the 20- point programme. It has been updated, since then, by fine-tuning other indicators. He termed it as a 'comprehensive developmental indicator', regularly monitored by the Centre. Kiran Kumar Reddy said that he wanted to come up with something, which could bring 'transparency without depending on people'. As he felt that people were shelling out money for these certificates and making rounds to government offices at least 10-20 times, he thought it necessary to improve the services further. "According to a survey, people were spending between Rs 500 and Rs 5,000 for getting certificates through middlemen. This would be around a whopping Rs 40,000 crores in the form of bribes," he said.

"We shall reach out to people by delivering 3 crore services per year by next year", hoped the Chief Minister. He recalled that the State's services were first recognized during 1992-93, as it was first time that AP ranked first in providing services listed in the 20-point programme. He lauded the efforts of Heavy Industry Minister Geetha Reddy in her presence, as the State also received the first prize for Investment Friendly Driven Economy amongst 23 States, this year. Minister Ponnala Laxmaiah, PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana, Chairman of 20-point programme Tulsi Reddy, Chief Secretary P K Mohanty, and Sanjay Jaju, secretary to government, also spoke. The CM?later gave away awards to Collectors and other officials for their efforts in implementing the 20-point programme in various districts.

New services now available at Mee Seva Departments and services: Agriculture � Crop Subsidies and Subsidized Seed Distribution. Mines & Geology: Reconnaissance Permit; Prospecting Licence; Mining Lease; Granite Quarry Lease; Marble Quarry Lease; Other Quarry Lease; Mineral Dealer Licence. Labour: Registration of Establishment/Shop (Form-I) and Renewal of Establishment/Shop (Form-III); Issuance of Duplicate Certificate for Registered Establishment/Shop; Notice of Change. Education: Application for Issue of Age Certificate; Application for Duplicate Memo of Marks; Application for Re-Counting of Marks; Application for Migration Certificate.