VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday directed Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) Chief Executive Officer A Md Imtiaz to appear before the court in person and explain the powers vested with village/ward volunteers in identifying the beneficiaries of welfare schemes.
R Vasantha Lakshmi and 26 others from Garapadu village in Pedakurapadu mandal in Palnadu filed a petition in the High Court, challenging the decision to exclude them from the list of beneficiaries under YSR Cheyutha.
The petitioners alleged that they were excluded from the list of Cheyutha beneficiaries for political reasons.Hearing the petition, Justice Battu Devanand questioned the intervention of volunteers in selecting the beneficiaries, when the respective departments have officials for the same.
Further hearing in the case was posted to February 28. The petitioners’ counsel informed the court that village/ward volunteers are now doing the task of what panchayat secretaries did in the past.
The judge sought to know the service rules and legality of the volunteers.