Nellore: VRAs stage protest for salary hike

Nellore: VRAs Association district honorary president K Penchala Narasaiah criticised that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was earlier the leader of the opposition, had promised them to increase their salaries within a week of coming to power and solve other issues, but neglected them after coming to power.

The association members held a dharna at the Collector's office as part of a State-wide programme on Tuesday and demanded a minimum wage of Rs 26,000 for village revenue assistants, promotions for the eligible, recognition of those working as nominees as VRAs and excluding them from attendance through facial app.

He said even after 3.5 years of rule, the YSR Congress government has not implemented any of the promises made to the VRAs and was paying only Rs 12,000 to them. The government's welfare schemes were scrapped for VRAs after the YSRCP came to power.

He said that it was unfair to ask VRAs to use their own mobile phones for land surveys at the village level, as well as those who work in many parts of the village. Most of them do not know how to use a smart phone, he lamented and said the network in rural areas was also poor.

So, he demanded that the VRAs should be exempted from attendance through facial app. Leaders Ghouse Basha, Naraiah, Kodandam, Seethamma, Ramulu, Bhaskar, Ankaiah and others participated in the protest. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the AO at the Collectorate.