Things are not at all going in favor of Volunteers in Andhra Pradesh.
A petition was filed in the High Court to remove the volunteers. The petitioner told the court that there was no reservation system followed in the appointment of volunteers and it is illegal according to the constitution of India.
The judicial bench that heard this petition issued directions to the AP government to file a counter.
The AP government has already decided to distribute the pensions with the secretariat employees instead of volunteers this month. With this, the volunteers are already worried.
The Jagan government that came to power in AP after 2019 has appointed 2.65 lakh volunteers. One volunteer was recruited for every 50 households. An honorarium of Rs.5,000 was paid to them. Distribution of pensions and selection of beneficiaries for government schemes were done through them.
Jagan’s government said that this volunteer system was brought in to act as a bridge between the government and the people. However, the TDP leaders alleged that YCP workers were appointed as volunteers.
However, 1.03 lakh volunteers resigned during the election. Many of them openly said at that time that they would work for the victory of YCP.
They took that decision with the confidence that the YCP government would come to power again. But with the change of government in AP after the elections, the scene has reversed.
All the resigned volunteers are going around the TDP MLAs and ministers requesting to take them back.
Although the government has not taken any decision about them, the announcement that the distribution of pensions will be carried out by the secretariat staff is causing concern among the 1.64 lakh volunteers who are currently on duty.
And now, this PIL will cause more concern to them.
