VIJAYAWADA : Amid intense electioneering in the State, the issue of volunteer system has taken centrestage.
This comes after the Election Commission of India (ECI) barred the State government from utilising the services of volunteers in the disbursal of pension. The directive kicked up a political row with the YSRC and TDP blaming each other for the hardships aged persons were facing in getting their monthly pension.
Claiming that 33 people died while on their way to get pensions from the secretariats, the YSRC leaders lashed out at the TDP and held party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu responsible for the ECI’s decision to bar volunteers from distributing pensions.
Subsequently, Naidu has promised to double the honorarium of volunteers to Rs 10,000 a month. The promise is significant as the yellow party and its alliance partner Jana Sena were against the volunteer system and had even accused volunteers of indulging in several anti-social activities. However, the two parties have now changed their stance in an apparent attempt to garner the support of volunteers. This has drawn sharp criticism from the ruling YSRC leaders, including Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The allegations reportedly raised concerns within the TDP as well. A TDP leader told TNIE, “We were initially opposed to the volunteer system as they were forced to collect private data of individuals by the government and some of them were involved in anti-social activities. Later, we understood that majority of the volunteers are serving the people and decided to continue their services.”
He expressed that the TDP leaders were worried to some extent when the YSRC blamed the yellow party for volunteers being barred from distribution of pensions. “However, we are of the view that the damage control steps initiated by the TDP brought to light the fact that the government intentionally failed to distribute the pensions properly only to fault the TDP,” he claimed.
Alleging that the YSRC leaders mounted pressure on volunteers to submit resignations and join the party’s campaigning activity, another TDP leader opined that Naidu promising to hike the honorarium has desisted many volunteers from resigning. “We hope that volunteers continuing in their posts will not indulge in any political activities,” he said.
Observing that the video clips highlighting the hardships of pensioners appeared to be causing damage to the opposition camp at one time, a political analyst said Naidu himself initiated damage control measures by writing to the ECI, requesting prompt disbursal of pensions at the doorstep of the beneficiaries and also seeking action against the ruling dispensation in the State for creating difficulties for the beneficiaries by forcing them to visit the village/ward secretariats instead of handing over the pension at their doorstep.
The analyst pointed out that political parties are forced to back the volunteer system as volunteers have emerged as influencing villagers, owing to their role of extending benefits directly to the beneficiaries.