Pradeep Kumar E.P. from Mukkam in Kozhikode does not know how to get out of the trap he has put himself in. He has pawned his house and tried to make ends meet through agriculture and yet cannot overcome the financial burden of being an Akshaya e-centre entrepreneur.
Akshaya e-centres launched by the government 20 years ago to bridge the digital divide, gradually evolved as the go-to centres for people for online services of the government, be it Aadhaar enrolment or pension mustering. But entrepreneurs who set up the centres at their own expense are now in dire straits waiting for the government to address their hardships. When the waiting got too long, they took to protest — first a token strike on August 9, then an extended hour of service on September 11 and a Secretariat march on September 30.
“We have been pushed beyond our limits. Though we do not want to cause inconvenience to the public or the government, we need to ensure our livelihood,” says Abdul Nazar I., Kozhikode district president of Forum of Akshaya Centre Entrepreneurs (FACE), a Statewide collective of Akshaya entrepreneurs with a membership of over 1,500.
Akshaya centres work in public-private partnership mode where the government gives them projects, while the entrepreneurs provide infrastructure and investment. The government has set a fee for each of their services to the public, and pays them for the services rendered to the various departments.
The entrepreneurs now say that the fee structure is archaic and need to be revised. “Owing to inflation, the government has raised service charges in most departments, including the police and Motor Vehicles department. There is no excuse to why Akshaya centres have been excluded. We have been asking for a revision of the fee structure for the past six years to no avail,” Mr. Nazar says.
Akshaya centres have been open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and floods and have left no stone unturned in rendering prompt service to the needy. Several entrepreneurs lost their lives to COVID. Yet, the government has not blinked an eye, says the forum.
The entrepreneurs also face the issue of not being able to transfer licences to others in case they decide to quit. “We are allowed to transfer licences only to blood relatives, which is not practical all the time. What if I would like to hand over my heritage of 20 years to a friend who is qualified enough?” asks Rajan K., an entrepreneur from Narippatta.
Aadhaar registration is a huge headache for entrepreneurs with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) amending rules frequently. “Many of us have lost licence to be Aadhaar enrollers owing to this. UIDAI does not give us timely intimations regarding the changes, and we end up making mistakes,” says Mr. Nasar.
As Akshaya centres turned non-profitable, several entrepreneurs took to part-time jobs, owing to which they face the threat of getting their licences cancelled. “If only the government could get us more projects, allow us to raise the fees slightly, and control the mushrooming unrecognised online service centres, we need not seek other modes of income,” says Mr. Pradeep Kumar.
FACE has demanded that the government appoint a director for Akshaya and not to come up with orders that violate the fundamental rights of entrepreneurs.
