E-Paper
Andhra Pradesh government contemplating overhaul of volunteers system introduced by YSRCP
The newly-formed national democratic alliance (NDA) government in Andhra Pradesh, led by Telugu Desam Party president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, is contemplating a complete overhaul of the village and ward volunteers’ system introduced by the previous YSR Congress party government in the state to deliver the benefits of welfare schemes to the doorsteps of the people, people familiar with the matter said.
The newly-formed national democratic alliance (NDA) government in Andhra Pradesh, led by Telugu Desam Party president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, is contemplating a complete overhaul of the village and ward volunteers’ system introduced by the previous YSR Congress party government in the state to deliver the benefits of welfare schemes to the doorsteps of the people, people familiar with the matter said.
More than 2.60 lakh volunteers were appointed in August 2019 at a monthly honorarium of ₹5,000. Each volunteer has been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring the delivery of government benefits to 50 beneficiaries. While village volunteers operate in rural areas, ward volunteers do their job in urban areas.
However, with the majority of these volunteers being appointed on the recommendation of the YSRCP leaders, they have virtually turned into foot soldiers for the YSRCP. Since the volunteers are working at the grassroots, they have built up the profiles of the voters at the micro-level over the last four and a half years.
At a meeting of the village and ward volunteers held before the elections, YSRCP president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy described them as “brand ambassadors” of his government and asked them to become star campaigners for the ruling party for bringing it back to power for a second successive term.
He also asked the volunteers to play a key role in YSRCP victory in the forthcoming elections by effectively countering the misleading election promises of the TDP and its allies. He asked them to spread the message that a vote for the opposition would wind up the welfare schemes.
On March 30, after the election commission of India (ECI) barred volunteers from the distribution of pensions to various categories of pensioners at their doorstep, more than 60,000 volunteers resigned from their posts during the elections and took part in the campaign on behalf of the YSRCP.
The YSRCP accused the opposition parties, particularly the TDP, of depriving the old people of their pensions, by complaining to the EC against volunteers.
The TDP president announced that his party was not against the volunteers’ system per se and was only opposing the way some of the volunteers were acting as YSRCP party workers.
Naidu announced during the electioneering that if TDP was voted to power, he would continue the volunteers’ system but see that it would have no political affiliation. He also promised to enhance the remuneration being given to the volunteers from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 per month.
VOLUNTEERS’ SYSTEM IN LIMBO
It has been a month since the TDP-led NDA came to power in Andhra Pradesh, but uncertainty prevailed over the status of volunteers across the state, as the Naidu government has not taken any immediate decision on continuing their services.
Those who had resigned and worked for the YSRCP in the elections have been left jobless, those who did not resign, too, are uncertain about their fate. On July 1, the government did not utilise its services for the delivery of pensions to the beneficiaries but instead engaged village and ward secretariat staff.
“The YSRCP leaders and officers in the previous government said distribution of pension through secretariat staff members is not possible. But we have proved that the pension could be distributed through 1.25 lakh secretariat employees. We have directed the officials to take the assistance of the volunteers wherever necessary,” Naidu said, while taking part in the pension distribution programme on July 1.
Senior minister for social welfare, sachivalayam and gram volunteers, Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, said the government would take a policy decision soon on utilising the services of village and ward volunteers. “We shall appoint an official committee to study the system and make appropriate changes,” he said.
PROBABLE CHANGES
A senior official in the Andhra Pradesh secretariat familiar with the development said the Naidu government is contemplating cutting down the number of volunteers from 2.60 lakh to around 1.50 lakh and utilise their services effectively.
“ Now, each volunteer will be asked to look after 100 beneficiaries. Alternatively, there will be only five volunteers in each gram panchayat,” the official said.
Secondly, the Naidu government doesn’t want to give a free hand to the volunteers, unlike in the previous government, but they will be asked to work under gram panchayats or village secretariats.
“They will be asked to assist the village secretaries in delivering the benefits of welfare schemes to the households at their doorsteps. As per the assurance given by Naidu during the elections, they will get a remuneration of ₹10,000 per month,” he said.
Thirdly, the government is also contemplating recruiting the village volunteers on a three-year contract, and depending on their performance, it might extend their services or recruit fresh candidates in their place. “This will give a sense of accountability for the volunteers,” the official quoted above said.
The government might also rename the volunteers as “gram sevak” in the villages and “ward sevak” in the urban areas. “The cabinet will take a policy decision on whether to remove all the existing volunteers and take up fresh recruitment or continue them based on their performance,” the official added.
