The absence of clarity over remuneration to data entry operators and enumerators is hitting the Socio Economic caste Census (SECC) in the city.
The enumeration staff are agitating against officials coming up with “new rules” over the remuneration to be paid to them. They are saying that the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) promised them a salary of Rs. 10,000 to Rs.12,000 per month. However, the VMC officials are denying it.
VMC Additional Commissioner (General) and Joint Principal SECC 2011 Officer P. Venkata Ramana said: “We said that enumeration staff could earn up to Rs.12,000 in three months. But, they misunderstood it.” The remuneration would be paid based on work completed. They were asked to cover 150 households or 600 records in a period of 10 days. But, some of them could not complete the task. The assured salary would be paid, if they complete the spillover in next phase, he said.
“Notwithstanding the rule position, Krishna Infotech that hired the staff has to resolve these issues. The VMC is only a facilitator,” he asserted.
The data entry operators, however, asserted that there was no clear-cut information on their salary from the beginning.
The remuneration was being changed. “First they said that it was Rs.6000. Later, we were told that we would be paid Rs.12,000. As the work for phase-1 was already completed, the salary has to be paid”, they said.
The city requires more than 580 data operators for the SECC. However, not more than 450 are working in view of the conditions prevailing. Of this, nearly 50 people have not completed the task assigned to them.
Initially, the enumerators showed least interest in the SECC 2011. The reason was that they had not been paid salary for the work done in February.
