The Vijayawada Court recently questioned a female volunteer who had filed a case against Pawan Kalyan regarding her government appointment letter. This incident has raised several questions about the system in place.
Volunteers are meant to serve without expecting any rewards, and it would be illegal for the AP government to label them as ‘volunteers’ and pay them. Over the last four years, a total of 2.50 lakh people received wages and incentives amounting to 6 thousand crores.
The High Court has also questioned the performance of volunteers on a few occasions in the past, but until now, no one has filed a court case against the volunteer system.
However, the government has now decided to discuss the volunteer system in the courts, and they have chosen to prosecute Pawan Kalyan for his recent criticism of the volunteer system during the Varahi Vijayatra.
This development has brought the volunteer system into the spotlight. When Jagan came to power, the volunteer system was established without following any particular method. It is essential that every penny paid from the public treasury is done legally, and government-appointed employees must adhere to strict legal procedures.
After four years, this government legitimized the village and ward secretariat system. However, questions remain about the actual benefits the people receive from volunteers. Earlier, beneficiaries received monthly pensions and had access to various schemes.
Now, the same tasks are being carried out by volunteers, collecting people’s personal information for the government’s political needs and election strategies under different names. This raises concerns about data collection and its potential implications.
