After both the AP High Court and the Election Commission of India convincing complaints against `political misuse’ of volunteers by the ruling YSRCP directed the AP government not to involve them in cash transfer towards welfare schemes during the election period. As this development has exposed their evil design to misuse them for electoral benefits, the YCP government has reportedly attempted to divert pensions and other welfare schemes money towards other expenditures of the government.
Though the ECI advised to make use of other government employees in their place, the government has stopped distribution of pensions on Monday and advised all eligible people to collect the money from village secretaries on Wednesday.
Strongly denouncing the government’s attitude, TDP chief and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that they have not asked anyone not to distribute pensions. He said that because the government is using the volunteers for political purposes, they have been removed from certain duties.
He recalled that even the Central Election Commission has not said so. There are 1.35 lakh secretarial staff in AP. Why is the government not using their services even though there is a possibility of giving pension to every house in one day?, he asked.
He was angry that Jagan had given money to his own contractors for government schemes. He said that the YCP government has emptied the treasury and has not given pensions. He alleged that the pretense is being used as a conspiracy against them and the Election Commission.
Asking the volunteers to be vigilant against evil designs of the government, he cautioned them that if they commit any mistake during the election period there is a danger of filing cases against them.
He deplored that Jagan is trying to destroy the lives of volunteers for his own political game.
Meanwhile, a delegation of TDP leaders met the Chief Secretary to the Government, Dr. KS Jawahar Reddy and appealed to make arrangements to go door to door and provide pensions to the beneficiaries. Instead of going to the secretariats, they were asked to go to the beneficiaries’ homes.
They suggested using the employees of village/ward secretariats for this purpose. Those who met Jawahar Reddy included former ministers Nakka Anand Babu, Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao, Kanna Lakshminarayana, TDP Politburo member Varla Ramaiah and former MP Konakalla Narayana.
Meanwhile, after issuing orders to all districts to keep volunteers away from distribution of pensions, another order was issued on the direction of the Election Commission that volunteers also should be kept away from the ration distribution system.
