Hyderabad, Aug 31 (IANS): The government of Telangana has enhanced the salaries of Village Organisation Assistants (VOAs) to Rs 8,000 per month.

As a gift on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao decided to increase the salaries of VOAs with effect from September. This will benefit 17,608 IKP Women's Associations or VOAs working across the state,

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the government will incur an additional burden of Rs 106 crore every year.

In the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, VOAs were extending their services voluntarily to the self help groups in the financial aspects and compiling the data. They were given a meager Rs 2,000 honorarium.

After the formation of Telangana state, KCR decided to pay them Rs 3,000 salaries in 2016. Subsequently, the government also applied the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) to the VOAs and enhanced their salary to Rs 3,900 on humanitarian grounds. With this, the VOAs have been receiving Rs 5,900 which includes Rs 2,000 from the self help groups.

Finance minister T Harish Rao, along with cabinet colleagues Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Sabita Indra Reddy, Satyavathi Rathod held a meeting with VOA representatives. Harish Rao informed CM KCR’s decisions to them.

Happy with the enhancement of salaries, VOAs tied rakhis to the ministers and said they were indebted to the CM.

KCR also announced that the government will provide funds for their uniforms and implement the job renewal process every year in place of three months. The CM also responded positively to the request of VOAs to implement life insurance scheme for them.