Policy of inclusiveness deserts village secretariats: Villagers

Anantapur: The establishment of village secretariats for every 2,000 population and appointment of village volunteers for every 50 families which came into being on October 2, 2019, which had kindled high hopes seems to have failed to live up to the expectations.

Partisan attitude and discrimination on the basis of political loyalties has deprived the secretariats of their sheen. All the proclaimed loft ideals of running secretariats on apolitical lines had been forgotten.

Contrary to the proclaimed ideals of ushering in Gram Swaraj, the secretariats instead of pursuing a policy of inclusiveness is giving in to petty politics and politicising welfare programmes. In rural areas a section of the people are feeling excluded from the mainstream because of politics of vendetta by rivals with the blessings of people's representatives.

Obulu Naidu, a ward member in Kalyanadurgam mandal, says that in his observation the village secretariats had lost their sheen. The village volunteers too had over the 3 years adopted a casual attitude and the tall talk of political sanctity based on inclusiveness is now missing, he regretted. Rama Lakshmi of Anantapur rural panchayat, says that the secretariats are no longer sticking to the norm that any application for a pension, ration card or housing will be processed in 72 hours. It is not really happening, the Chief Minister has lost people's trust, she said. We thought the YSRCP will bring in a new political culture of inclusiveness but political rivals and their followers are feeling excluded as they on flimsy grounds were kept out of welfare agenda, says Ram Reddy, a teacher in a government school in Gooty mandal.

About 15,000 village volunteers and more than 1,000 secretariats with a workforce of about 10,000 secretariat staff, it was believed would alter the social, economic and political demography of every gram panchayat but the lofty ideals stand ignored and political witch hunting is in place, feel many. District Collector Nagalakshmi Selvarajan based on complaints had been inspecting the secretariats and trying to improve their functioning and ensure delivery of goods.