The Telangana Government is all set to introduce the volunteer system in the State, akin to the present one in force in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
As many as 36,000 volunteers would be enrolled by the government after the parliamentary elections to not only publicise the Congress government’s flagship programmes, but also participate in delivery of the social security pensions and other welfare benefits to the targeted beneficiaries. The government is also keen on paying honorarium to these volunteers.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, according to highly placed sources, revealed his plans to the Congress leaders at a review meeting convened by Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy at his residence to discuss the party’s preparedness to face Lok Sabha polls in Bhuvanagiri parliamentary constituency.
TPCC vice-president Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is the party’s candidate, along with Mr. Rajagopal Reddy and key leaders of the party attended the meeting at the Munugode MLAs’ house. Mr. Rajagopal Reddy’s wife Laxmi was a strong aspirant for the ticket, but the ticket was given to Kiran Kumar Reddy, a close aide of the Chief Minister.
Sources said the idea of replicating the Andhra Pradesh model of volunteers was to recognise the services of the committed party workers and recognise their services. “By identifying the talented party workers and assigning them the job of the volunteer, the government will easily percolate down to the grass roots level the welfare and development programmes. They will also be drafted to distribute social security pensions and other benefits accruing to the people,” sources said.
Other important point of discussion was to complete the panchayat raj elections to Zilla Parishad, Mandal Parishads and Gram Panchayat sarpanches posts.
“Let’s all complete the Panchayat Raj bodies elections so that there are no elections in near future. We can think of Urban Local Bodies elections after some time. This will allow the government to focus on the flagship programmes. The party cadres need to continue the tempo till these PR bodies elections,” Mr. Revanth Reddy was quoted as telling the gathering of leaders.
Sources said with Bhuvanagiri review meeting the Chief Minister, who is also the TPCC chief, has completed ground level interactions with the key leaders of each parliamentary constituency and gave them a road map.
It is understood that the idea of having a meeting at the residence of Mr. Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy was also to take him into confidence and rope him actively in the election campaign. It is believed that Mr. Rajagopal Reddy and Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy will now campaign jointly from April 12. Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy is expected to file his nomination papers on April 21 which will be attended by Mr. Revanth Reddy. The party has also planned a meeting of AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi in Bhuvanagiri constituency between May 4 and 6.
A training programme for the booth level workers in each constituency was planned, sources said. At least 6,000 workers from each of the Lok Sabha constituency would attend these meetings where the electoral campaign strategy would be finalised by the local leaders.
