Govt keen on providing better 108 services: CM

HYDERABAD: Putting an end to the controversy over the GVK group threatening to withdraw its services to operate the EMRI-108 services, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Tuesday clarified that the state government will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the GVK group shortly.He said that a communication gap led to the confusion of the GVK group management and the issue has been sorted out.Speaking to mediapersons in New Delhi on Tuesday, the chief minister said that the EMRI-108 services have been effectively providing services to the poor and the needy over the past a few years.He assured that the state government would sign the MoU with the GVK group and will continue to render the 108 services without any hiccups.“We are serious about operating the services and there is no doubt about it.In fact, we want to provide better services in coordination with the GVK group.Necessary formalities including fixing of rates for running the operations have been already finalised and a pact will be signed in this regard shortly,” he said.It may be recalled that the GVK group has partnered with the state government to run the 108 services after the Satyam debacle following a request from the then chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.However, the state government did not enter into an agreement till date and irked over the delay in signing the MoU, the GVK group wrote a letter to the chief minister on Saturday stating that they would withdraw the services unless the state government sign the agreement immediately.The chief minister assured to continue the services under any circumstances and directed the officials to sign the pact at the earliest.