Hyderabad, September 26:  Bharatiya Janata Party state senior leader Gudur Narayana Reddy on Monday demanded Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao to solve the issues of Village Revenue Assistants (VRAs) issues immediately. 
In a media statement, he said that the VRAs are on strike since 64 days demanding resolution of their issues. He said that during this period about 34 lost their lives due to suicides or due to heart break. 

He said that they have taken their own lives and died due to mental stress with fear about their future. They were not paid honorarium for the past two months. Most of the VRAs were financially ruined and their families were in utter distress.

He said that the Chief Minister announced that the VRAs would be given pay scales on par with other government staff, promotions to eligible VRAs and job to heirs of VRAs who have crossed the age of 55 and retirement benefits, on the floor of the Assembly on September 9, 2020. 

The VRAs felt happy about the promise as they would be treated on par with the government staff and their service would be protected should the promises are being implemented. 

“Two years have gone by since then but so far no steps have been taken to issue required orders. The VRAs have been kept in suspense and their fate was hanging in balance,” Gudur said.  

He said that the VRAs have tried to lay siege to the Assembly during the monsoon session. Several VRAs were injured during the lathi charge by the police. Industries minister KT Rama Rao has held discussions with them in Assembly and promised to solve their issues and invited them for further discussions and urged them to end the strike. The minister held discussions with the VRAs on September 20. 

“However, so far no concrete steps have been taken to address the issues of the VRAs. The VRAs have demanded the government to solve the issues by Dasara. But the government was mum on them, forcing the agitating VRAs to continue their strike,” he said. 

The BJP leader said that about 23,000 Village Revenue Assistants were on war path for the past few months as their services were withdrawn from the Revenue department and the government has stated that they would be adjusted in other departments. 
Though the government has begun adjustment of the VRAs in various departments, the process was not completed. The adjustments did not satisfy the VRAs and instilled confidence in them. 

He said that due to the absence of VRAs the administration in the Gram Panchayats has gone hay wire. The Tehsildars and deputy Tehsildars were unable to cope up with the heavy load of work. 

Several issues have been kept in pending and the people in the villages were suffering with various issues related to Revenue department. No one knows why the VRAs have been removed. 

He said BJP would stand with the VRAs and would fight on their behalf for the immediate resolution of their issues. He wanted Industries minister KT Rama Rao to hold discussions with the VRAs and to solve their issues immediately.