Jagan Vows to Revive Volunteer System if Re-elected

Tirupati: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday vowed that his first signature “after being sworn-in again as CM on June 4 will be for reviving the volunteer system.” Despite the system’s effectiveness, it faced stiff resistance from the Opposition, allegedly out of a fear that it was boosting the ruling party’s image. Addressing the ‘Memantha Siddham’ public meeting in Naidupeta of Tirupati district, Jagan Mohan Reddy said reinstating the volunteer system, halted by the EC recently, would be his top priority after retaining power.

The system involves deployment of volunteers to deliver welfare services at people's doorsteps. "On June 4, my first ever signature as Chief Minister will be bringing back the volunteer system," Jagan Mohan Reddy declared. The Chief Minister blamed Opposition leader Nara Chandrababu Naidu for the tragic deaths of 31 elderly pensioners over the past 48 hours due to the avoidable strain they faced in collecting the pension amounts.

He accused Naidu of being singularly responsible for these deaths as it was he who



tried from the front to scrap the volunteer system. "Chandrababu Naidu's evil path of opposing our Direct Benefit Transfer scheme has led to the death of these 31 elderly pensioners," he said. Framing the 2024 elections as an epochal Kurukshetra battle between his pro-poor, anti-feudal forces and Naidu's alleged "discriminatory, corruption-ridden" rule, the Chief Minister contrasted his government's welfare model with Naidu's previous tenure.

He listed flagship schemes like English-medium government schools through Nadu-Nedu, distribution of 31 lakh free houses for the poor and the Direct Benefit Transfer system. "This is a battle between the arrogant ideology that demands people to stand in queues, pay bribes for pensions, rations, certificates and our government that comes to your doorstep smiling," Jagan Mohan Reddy asserted. The Chief Minister also trained his guns on Naidu for a slew of unfulfilled promises in the past, ranging from farm loan waivers and weaver society loan waivers, to girl child benefits and unemployment allowance.