In the wake of the raging controversy over the role and limitations of the volunteers at the ground-level district administrative machinery, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy came out openly in support of the volunteer system introduced by his government.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy made the significant statement at a public meeting held at Venkatagiri in Tirupati district on Friday, after releasing ₹193.64 crore towards financial assistance for handloom weaver families under ‘YSR Nethanna Nestham’, benefitting 80,686 weavers at the rate of ₹24000 each.
Referring to the volunteers as local educated youth familiar to the neighbourhood and hence easily accessible to the residents, the Chief Minister called it unfortunate for some political parties to speak ill of their ‘character’. “These leaders are calling volunteers as low in character and portraying them as trying to lure women. The society will not pay heed to their sinister designs to besmirch the system,” he hoped.
He directly hit back at Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan, dubbing him as a ‘volunteer’ of the TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu and working hard in return for a ‘hefty package’. He referred to several comments made by politicians in bad taste. “These people don’t understand the importance of probity in public life,” he remarked.
On the ‘YSR Nethanna Nestham’ implemented for the fifth consecutive year, he said each eligible weaver family received ₹1.20 lakh so far. “When the benefits under YSR Rythu Bharosa, Arogyasri, Cheyutha, Aasara, Ammavodi, housing, free crop insurance, Vidya Deevena, Jagananna Thodu, Sunna Vaddi and YSR Bima are added, the total benefits accrued to the weaving community amount to ₹3706.16 crore,” he said.
The Chief Minister accused the previous TDP regime of having cheated weavers by going back on the promise of providing free houses, constructing sheds for looms and offering financial aid to the kin of weavers who committed suicide. “In sharp contrast, we have paid ex gratia of ₹5 lakh each to the kin of 71 weavers who committed suicide during the TDP rule, besides extending online marketing of handloom products,” he said.
State festival
After announcing the Tirupati Gangamma Jatara as a ‘State festival’, he offered to declare even the Venkatagiri Poleramma Jatara as a State event. He agreed to sanction ₹553 crore for construction of Althurupadu reservoir and ₹20 crore for drainage and road works in six mandals.
