EC orders on volunteers take political colour

Vijayawada: The orders of the Election Commission of India asking the YSRCP government to stop using the large number of Village and Ward Secretariat staff for the distribution of pensions and to seize their mobile phones and tabs are now taking a political colour.

The YSRCP on Sunday alleged that the TDP by lodging complaints with the EC against the volunteers had caused damage and hardship to the pensioners.

The TDP on the other hand said the YSRCP wanted to use the volunteers for election campaign. They said the YSRCP was indulging in false campaign that pensions would not be paid as EC has put restrictions on volunteers. They said the only change was that instead of volunteers going to the doorstep of the beneficiaries, till elections are over, the beneficiaries will have to go to Village and Ward Secretariats and collect the pensions.

The TDP further said party chief N Chandrababu Naidu had urged the EC to permit the Ward and Village Secretariat staff to draw required money from banks and carry it without police seizing the money. Meanwhile, D Muralidhar Reddy of Society for Eradication of Rural Poverty (SERP) in a circular said the pension disbursement through volunteers has been

disabled and it will be done at the Village or Ward Secretariat offices only by the secretariat staff. Reddy instructed the MPDOs or Municipal Commissioners to issue authorisation letter to the Panchayat Secretary and Welfare and Education Assistant in rural areas and Ward Administrative Secretaries and Ward Welfare Development Secretaries in urban areas for carrying cash from bank to secretariats. Beneficiaries will have to carry their Aadhar cards.

The CEO cautioned that no publicity should be given while disbursement of pensions. He also directed that no photos or videos should be permitted.