Retd IAS officer embarks on ‘Aikyata Vijaya Patham’

Ongole: Retired IAS Gujju Suvarna Ratna Karunakara Rajendra Vijay Kumar popularly known as GSRKR Vijay Kumar said that poverty is a multidimensional and multifaceted situation that has economic, historical, cultural, social, and political reasons which obstructed the people from information and resources.

After working for about 30 years, Vijay Kumar wants to spend his retired life serving public and is conducting a padayatra titled ‘Aikyata Vijaya Patham’ from Tada in Nellore district, and about to complete 1,000 km in a couple of days. He is about to announce an Ongole Declaration on October 9 on the liberation of people from poverty, and the development of the villages and slums.

Vijay Kumar spoke to ‘The Hans India’ on the way from Alooru to Chejarla in Prakasam district on Thursday. Responding to various questions, Vijay Kumar said that being a bureaucrat for almost three decades, he tried maximum to lend a helping hand to the poor. He said that being born and brought up in a poor family and worked in several roles in the government to uplift the poor, he understood that poverty is a multidimensional and multifaceted situation, and it requires a multipronged strategy and holistic approach to alienation.

He said that nearly 70 per cent of people in the state are reeling under poverty even after 76 years of independence, and said that by extending economic support to public will not suffice to uplift them from poverty.

He observed that poverty is not limited to a section of the caste, creed, region, or religion, and offering money through the direct benefit transfer schemes for the needs of the rulers rather than for the needs of the public may not achieve its goal, economically strengthening the poor.

Vijay Kumar has covered about 960 km on Thursday and interacted with more than one lakh people from 445 villages on his way through. He said that public has submitted more than five thousand representations to him, mostly regarding houses, pensions, land issues, roads, drains and other infrastructure and development-oriented issues. He said that the poor have no property, and no access to information or resources that uplift them from poverty. He observed that many people in the villages he walked through are spending more than half of their income on the consumption of alcohol.

An accident, an ailment, a ritual or a celebration imitating the rich are throwing the poor into the vicious cycle of debt, losing their assets if any, and becoming ultra poorer. He said that social security schemes like pensions are required to support the needy, but other direct benefit transfer programmes give temporary relief to the public, and they are not a solution to alleviate poverty.

Vijay Kumar said that with inspiration from his parents, particularly from his father, he is looking forward to spend coming 15 years with people to motivate and encourage them to address each and every reason for poverty.

He said that his padayatra is not election-oriented, but if it requires contesting a seat to give voice to the public cause, he may not draw back. He announced that at the Adhikajana Akanksha Sadassu scheduled to be held at the Church Centre in Ongole next Monday.

He is going to announce a plan of action on the demands of the public received in his yatra, and development of the villages and slums in the state. He said that similar public meetings will be held in the due course, and an integrated plan of action will be announced while concluding the padayatra.