Scores of Aadhaar operators and supervisors on Tuesday held a protest accusing authorities of passing orders to replace them with government employees.
Aadhaar operators assembled at Partap Park under the banner of J&K Aadhaar association.
Aadhaar operators said that they have been working from last eight years doing desk job and field work. “Now government is trying to snatch our livelihood by passing orders to engage government employees by replacing us,” they said demanding permanent job policy.
“We were engaged in 2010 and we did field work till 2015. Post 2015, we were placed in permanent enrollment centers. Last year orders were passed to replace us with employees from ICDS, Municipality and education who already have jobs,” said Shahid Hussain, vice president of the association.
“This is our only job. 1200 families are dependent of it. This is injustice as our livelihood is being snatched and those who already have jobs are paid extra by replacing us with them,” he said.
The operators said that until 2016 they were taking salaries on monthly basis like regular employees “They are now paying us like labourers. We are paid as per the entries we make related to Aadhaar,” they said.
“Majority of us have crossed age limit in these eight years and now we cannot apply for jobs. We fail to understand why our monthly salary was stopped and why government is not taking concrete steps to regularize us,” they said.
“We have worked in harsh climatic areas like Siachen, Ladakh and other far flung areas that too on meager salaries, now we are asked to leave,” the aggrieved said.