Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Village agriculture assistants urged Andhra government to ease workload
In the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, there are helpers called Village Agriculture Assistants who work with farmers in the fields.
Their jobs include sharing out fertiliser and checking on crops.
Lately, they have been asked to do many different jobs all at the same time.
This is happening during the busy farming season called Kharif.
A group called APVAAWA speaks up for these helpers.
The group's leader, P Ram Prasad, asked the State government to give them less work.
He said the extra jobs are making the helpers tired and even unwell.
Women helpers and helpers with disabilities are finding it especially hard.
The group wants the government to let them focus only on farming work.
They hope the meeting they held in Vijayawada will help the government listen and reduce their pressure.
Andhra Pradesh Village Agriculture Assistants' Welfare Association (APVAAWA) urged the State government to reduce the mounting workload on Village Agriculture Assistants (VAAs) during the Kharif season.
State president P Ram Prasad raised the issue at the State executive committee emergency meeting held at the APAOs Association Building in Vijayawada on Sunday.
VAAs are being assigned multiple simultaneous activities, including e-Crop, fertiliser distribution, APAIMS and El Nino-related 'Rythanna Meekosam' programme tasks.
Ram Prasad said the additional responsibilities are putting pressure on field-level staff and affecting their health, with women VAAs and employees with disabilities facing severe hardship.
The meeting unanimously resolved to seek government intervention and exemption for VAAs from duties of departments other than the Agriculture Department.
- Who
- Andhra Pradesh Village Agriculture Assistants' Welfare Association (APVAAWA), led by State president P Ram Prasad, appealing to the Andhra Pradesh State government.
- What
- Urged the government to review duty allocation, rationalise and reduce the workload on Village Agriculture Assistants (VAAs), and exempt them from non-agriculture department duties.
- When
- Sunday, during the ongoing Kharif season.
- Where
- Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Officers (APAOs) Association Building in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
- Why
- VAAs are burdened with multiple simultaneous assignments, which is affecting their health, especially women VAAs and employees with disabilities.
- Organization
- Andhra Pradesh Village Agriculture Assistants' Welfare Association (APVAAWA)
- State President
- P Ram Prasad
- Meeting Venue
- APAOs Association Building, Vijayawada
- Demand
- Reduce and rationalise workload on Village Agriculture Assistants
- Assigned Activities
- e-Crop, fertiliser distribution, APAIMS, Rythanna Meekosam
- Season
- Ongoing Kharif season
- Additional Demand
- Exemption from duties of departments other than the Agriculture Department