Salaries Of VOAs In Telangana Increased

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao today announced a hike in the salaries of the Village Organisation Assistants (VOA).

The GO in this regard was issued on Thursday upon the instructions of the Chief Minister, enhancing the salaries of 17,608 VOAs whose services were drafted by the government under the Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP).

Their salaries have been increased by up to Rs 8,000 per month, and the hike will be effective from September.

The hike will result in an additional burden of Rs 106 crore on the government exchequer.

Upon the instructions of the CM, Minister T Harish Rao along with cabinet colleagues Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Sabitha Indra Reddy and Satyavathi Rathod held a meeting with the VOA representatives and later disclosed the Chief Minister's decision to hike the salaries.

On the occasion, the representatives of the VOAs tied rakhis to the ministers and said that they were indebted to the Chief Minister for increasing the salaries.

The Chief Minister took the decision to increase the VOAs' salaries, provide funds for their uniforms and implement the renewal process once every year instead of three months currently. KCR also responded positively to the request of the VOAs to implement a life insurance scheme for them, and ordered Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao to study the relevant regulations and submit a report.

The VOA representatives said that no government had taken care of them in the past, and thanked the CM profusely for addressing their grievances and enhancing their salaries.