Allegations of Systemic Undermining
Kurasala Kannababu, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Regional Coordinator and former minister, accused the Andhra Pradesh coalition government led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday of attempting to undermine the village and ward secretariat system.
Speaking at his camp office in Kakinada, Kannababu stated that the government was spreading "falsehoods" claiming the model was ill-conceived while simultaneously weakening a framework designed to bring administration closer to citizens. He alleged that Secretariat employees were being treated as political adversaries due to hostility toward former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Kannababu condemned what he described as the filing of cases, suspensions, and police action against employees who were protesting for their demands. He asserted that more than 140 employees had been suspended and claimed that even women employees were taken to police stations and harassed.
Historical Framework and Administrative Structure
Kannababu outlined the administrative structure established during the previous YSRCP tenure, noting that 15,004 Village and Ward Secretariats were created in 2019. He said this framework covered duties, job charts, and service matters, with employees placed under the service rules of their respective line departments.
According to Kannababu, a two-year probation period was prescribed at recruitment, and departments were directed to frame or amend necessary rules to support the system. He pointed out that government orders relating to service rules for 17 categories of employees were issued during the YSRCP tenure, alongside mechanisms created for promotions, regularisation, and pay revision.
He argued that assertions claiming service rules, job charts, or promotion channels never existed ignored these specific government orders. The system was designed to provide pensions, ration cards, welfare benefits, revenue, agriculture, health, and sanitation services at the village level, integrated with a volunteer network to take governance directly to people’s doorsteps.
Operational Impact and Political Demands
Kannababu emphasized that the secretariat system also provided a critical grassroots administrative network during cyclones, floods, and other emergencies. He warned that weakening staffing levels and altering responsibilities would ultimately reduce services to citizens.
He demanded an immediate halt to cases and suspensions against employees. Furthermore, he sought a clear roadmap from the government regarding job charts, service rules, promotions, probation, regularisation, and pay revision.
Kannababu asked the government to clarify whether it intended to strengthen the secretariat system or gradually dismantle it for political reasons. He questioned if the administration had the courage to abolish the system completely if it believed it was useless, rather than weakening it piece by piece.
Asserting that YSRCP would continue its fight for employees’ rights and decentralised public services, Kannababu maintained that the current approach contradicted the original intent of bringing administration closer to the people.