While the fate of volunteers, promoted by YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s regime as “foot-soldiers” of the YCP, remains uncertain with the change of regime in the state, the Chandrababu Naidu government has made a key decision to stop spending government resources on Jagan’s family newspaper, “Sakshi.”
The previous regime has been paying a monthly allowance of Rs 200 to each volunteer to purchase only Sakshi news paper. Thus, Sakshi management is reportedly receiving a monthly revenue of about Rs 135 crore from government resources. They also received the amount during the first week of June.
Thus the government has been paying this allowance to 2.60 lakh volunteers in the state. With the decision of the TDP coalition government to stop this allowance, the revenue of Sakshi news paper is likely to get a setback, which is already facing a crisis with the steep fall in its circulation after YCP’s humiliating defeat in the polls.
Although Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced during the poll campaign that he would continue the volunteer system after coming to power, the first cabinet meeting held on Monday did not take any decision on their fate. He also promised to increase their monthly salaries from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.
The government has entrusted Minister Dola Balaveeranjaneyaswamy with the responsibilities of the Secretariats and Volunteers Department. With this, the volunteers have hoped for the continuation of the volunteer system.
However, the cabinet decided to distribute `NTR Bharosa’ pensions on July 1 with enhanced amount at the door-step of the beneficiaries through the staff of village secretaries, against the earlier practice of through volunteers.
Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy briefed the media on the cabinet decisions and said that the meeting did not discuss the volunteers’ issue, but the government will explore plans for better utilization of their services.
Moreover, more than 1 lakh volunteers have resigned during the election period, allegedly due to pressures from YCP MLAs and other leaders. They are now pleading with the government to take them again and some of them are filing cases against YCP leaders for taking their resignations by pressure. The government so far maintains that it will not take them back, but they are bringing pressure through local TDP MLAs and leaders.
