AP Village Volunteers System Redefined Governance: CM YS Jagan

PORANKI (KRISHNA  DISTRICT): Affirming that the village and ward volunteer system has redefined governance, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said this format has shown the world how effective the welfare delivery system could be with inclusiveness.

2,22,990 Village / Ward Volunteers will be felicitated with awards and a cash incentive totalling to Rs 228.74 crore and the programme will start in every constituency from the next day after the Ugadi festival.

Formally launching the Visishta Puraskar Seva Award presentation ceremony held here on Monday, the Chief Minister said the service orientation of the volunteers is laudable and the Awards will be an annual affair to felicitate those who have shown exemplary work.

Saluting volunteers for their service, more so during the pandemic, the Chief Minister said the affinity and rapport volunteers have developed with the members of number of houses they were allotted have been working wonders.

He cited a few examples where a volunteer from Srikakulam has gone all the way to Vizag to deliver the pension to an old lady who was hospitalized following an accident. The volunteer has understood that the old woman needs money at that point in time, and extended her service.

A volunteer from Prakasam went to Hyderabad to disburse pension for a woman who had undergone heart surgery at Hyderabad and in a similar case, one volunteer from Chittoor delivered pension at a hospital in Bangalore to the beneficiary. A volunteer in Vizianagaram has rescued a nine-year girl from a fire mishap and hospitalized her paying expenses from her pocket.

Seva Mitra was awarded to 2, 18, 115 volunteers. The award includes a cash reward of Rs 10,000, citation, shawl and a badge.

Seva Ratna Award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 20,000, citation, medal and a shawl was given to 4, 000 persons.

Seva Vajra was given to 875 persons. The award carries a cash prize of  Rs 30, 000, medal, citation and a shawl.

The Award presentations will go on at Assembly constituency level, the Chief Minister said, adding that he would attend one in North Andhra and the other in Rayalaseema. He asked the volunteers to continue their good work and not to bother about the remarks and reports from detractors.

Stating that the volunteer system has brought governance to the doorstep by providing 32 types of services with each volunteer taking care of 50 houses in rural 100 houses in urban areas and delivering welfare schemes in a transparent and corruption-free manner looking beyond caste, creed, religion and Party affiliations.

Of the 2.6 lakh volunteers 97 percent are youngsters below 35 years and 53 percent are women and 83 percent belong to SC ST BC and Minorities, he said adding that 1.46 lakh permanent staff of Village Ward Secretariats are locals.

On the first of every month volunteers come calling to disburse pensions at the home of beneficiaries and return with their blessings and smile, he said. He told the volunteers that what they are doing is service-oriented work and should carry forward the system with the same dedication they have been showing.

A few volunteers who spoke on the occasion lauded the Chief Minister for the initiative and narrated their experiences in the field. The Chief Minister formally felicitated nine volunteers on the dais and transferred Rs18, 93,36,000 into the accounts of 18,576 volunteers for the first day of felicitation. Later, he unveiled a special booklet featuring the success stories of Volunteers.

Ministers Perni Venkatramaiah, Vellampalli Srinivas, MLAs Parthasarathi, Malladi Vishnu, Panchayat Raj department officials, local leaders and Village/ Ward Volunteers were present on the occasion.

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