Jana Sena Party (JSP) president Pawan Kalyan on July 12 (Wednesday) dared Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to reveal who was the ‘supreme authority’ of the ward and village volunteer system in the State.
Addressing a gathering during his Varahi Yatra here, Mr. Pawan Kalyan raised several questions. “Who is to be held responsible if the data collected through the volunteer system is stolen or misused? Who is behind the operation of the Hyderabad-based Field Operation Agency (FOA) that is storing the household data of Andhra Pradesh?” he asked.
Mr. Pawan Kalyan demanded that the FOA and its association with the volunteer system in the State should be probed.
Referring to the remarks made by Andhra Pradesh High Court Judge Justice Battu Devanand in a case related to ward and village volunteer system, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said, “I am not the first person who raised questions on the volunteer system. Justice Battu Devanand earlier observed in a case that the volunteers are not government employees and they cannot collect information pertaining to welfare schemes”.
“Justice Battu Devanand also observed that what was the need for volunteers to collect crucial information from the people when the government employees could do it. Who will be held responsible if personal data is misused?” asked Mr. Pawan Kalyan.
Mr. Pawan Kalyan demanded that the Chief Minister must respond as to who would be held responsible in case the data was stolen or misused. “Will it be the Chief Secretary, the Cabinet, the bureaucracy or the 151 MLAs?” he asked.
He said the Jana Sena Party launched Jana Vani, a grievance redressal programme, in response to the injustice meted out to a woman volunteer by the YSRCP activists.
The State Women Commission should serve notice on the volunteers who resorted to atrocities against women in various incidents reported in Andhra Pradesh, said Mr. Pawan Kalyan.
Alleging that educated youth were being exploited by the YSRCP, Mr. Pawan Kalyan appealed to the volunteers to introspect on the fact that their wages were less than what was being paid to the MGNREGS workers. “The volunteers are stuck without any scope for their career growth,” said the JSP president.
Mr. Pawan Kalyan alleged that the Chief Minister had diverted the funds that were allocated in the Budget for the welfare of the Dalits and minorities.
