Smartphones to be Given to 27,500 VOAs

Minister for rural poverty alleviation, Kondapalli Srinivas, announced this on Thursday. He said the government is committed to eradicating rural poverty. It would equip VOAs with smart devices to enhance their efficiency in grassroots-level implementation of welfare schemes.

He noted that, over two decades ago, the then CM, Chandrababu Naidu, laid the foundation for rural empowerment through the Velugu programme, which aimed at “bringing economic light” into the homes of the poor. As part of this, DWACRA groups were established to financially empower women, Srinivas said.

He said, “To further strengthen these groups, a dedicated state-level institution, the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty, was set up. Today, nearly 90 lakh women are members of about 8.32 lakh self-help groups across villages, steadily progressing through collective effort and financial inclusion.”

From among these members, one VOA is selected in each village to guide and support group activities. These assistants play a crucial role in training members and facilitating access to financial schemes such as bank linkages, Sthree Nidhi and Community Investment Funds (CIF).

Given their expanding responsibilities—especially with the introduction of Android-based applications and the growing need for real-time data collection—the VOAs had pleaded for supply of smartphones to them to better discharge their duties. Responding to this, the CM has approved the procurement of 27,500 devices, the minister said.