*Naidu offers Rs 10000 honorarium, and asks them to decide for public or Jagan
*If they resign, TDP may treat them as YSRCP
Patibandla Srinivas
Amaravati: It is a testing time for volunteers. The State government introduced the new system almost five years ago to provide employment to the unemployed youth and provide services to the public at their doorsteps as an innovative initiative. The State government offered them Rs 5000 monthly honorarium for their services like salary.
As many as 2.5 lakh volunteers covered the entire households of Andhra Pradesh and they provided services for the last five years. Presently their role has become controversial and the entire system itself is facing criticism due to the YSR Congress appointed a majority of them with party affiliations. Surprisingly Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and YSR Congress senior leader Vijayasai Reddy affirmed their affiliation with the YSR Congress.
Against this backdrop, several democratic forums started criticism and lodged complaints with the Election Commission (EC). The EC has issued orders not to involve them in the election process and not give any kind of money for them to deliver to the pensioners. So far they have been distributing the pension amount at doorsteps. Now the services were handed over to other alternative staff of the government.
Since then both the YSR Congress and TDP are at loggerheads on the situation. The YSR Congress started a political game by encouraging the volunteers to resign from their positions. It allows them to take part in the elections when they are not in volunteer posts. As a result, a sizable number of volunteers started resigning to their posts. The volunteers know the details of every household and their mood of support towards political parties.
In this backdrop, their role is important, especially for the YSR Congress. Now the former Chief Minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu has announced Rs 10,000 monthly honorarium and other increasing career hike job opportunities for them. The TDP boss straightly asked them whether they would work for the YSR Congress or the public.
As per the EC rules also they should not participate in election duties. Even if they resign from their positions to participate in elections, the TDP will treat them as YSRCP workers. So it is a testing period for volunteers to prove themselves that they do not belong to any party. They are only for public service, said a former official who worked in state government.