Ram Sharma (name changed), a graduate of BITS, Pilani, had no qualms about competing and eventually joining the Village Secretary job in East Godavari district. Ram is not alone, thousands of post-graduates and even Ph.Ds have grabbed the offer in villages across the State.
The notification for 1.26 lakh Village Secretariat staff seems to be a timely solution as it coincided with the global slowdown and massive lay-offs in the corporate sector. The recruitment drive, apparently, was a shot in the arm for the YSRCP government to prove a point to the Opposition on the success of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s administration on job creation.
The mass recruitment drive ahead of local body polls is considered a shrewd move as it is part of Navaratnalu, the government’s flagship programme. It has helped the government overcome the unemployment problem and gain an edge over the Telugu Desam Party, its arch rival. TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu could not create jobs on this scale.
Under the new system, each Gram Panchayat (GP) with 2,000-plus population is given a Village Secretariat with team of secretaries with clearly defined roles making them accountable to Gram Panchayats/Gram Sabha with a well-defined Citizen Charter. It is the convergence of all the line departments that provide citizen services at the village level. The idea is to provide basic citizen services at the doorstep. The villages, the crucial vote bank, are in celebration mood as all the jobs are given to locals, within the mandal. The new system is also expected to bring down load on Collectors and political heads, especially, MLAs.
Chola model
It is interesting to note that the Village Secretariat system is also akin to that followed by the Cholas way back about 850-1200 CE in South India. Considered to be the most efficient one, the Chola administration had village as the smallest unit. The village assemblies maintained tanks, roads, public ponds, revenue collection, judiciary, education and temples etc. These assemblies had absolute authority over the affairs of villages.
Here is another reason why these jobs with modest salaries, ₹15,000 for Village Secretary, are considered hot. One, the jobs being in the government sector are assumed to be stable. The slowdown and lay-offs in the corporate world made prospective graduates look at other opportunities. Secondly, and most importantly, the entry-level salaries in many corporate firms are starting at ₹15,000. And, the fresh graduates say that working for their own hometown is much gratifying and it ensures a pay almost on a par with a corporate job.
