J365 NEWS, Bhadrachalam:
In the agency areas, village secretaries are under increasing pressure to issue suitability certificates to employees working in various departments, which are necessary to qualify for agency incentives. The government provides these incentives to employees stationed in the agency areas, but many employees are opting to stay in city areas due to personal or family reasons. Despite not working in the agency areas, many employees are unwilling to forgo these incentives. This practice has become common, with employees continuing to receive agency benefits while not fulfilling the required criteria. Village secretaries, who are under pressure to issue these certificates, find themselves in a challenging situation, as the issue is often dismissed as a minor concern.
Employees are simply stating that no one will question the practice, as most people are staying in the city and this issue is widespread.As a result, the government is losing substantial amounts of money, with lakhs of rupees being paid to employees who are not actually staying in the agency areas. This common practice undermines the intended purpose of the incentive program.
The ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) Project Officer needs to conduct a thorough inquiry into this ongoing issue, as it is leading to financial misuse and resource wastage that requires immediate attention. Furthermore, student unions and Banjara unions have demanded an official invest-igation into the matter, calling for transparency and account-ability to ensure that the agency incentive program serves its true purpose and does not continue to be exploited.