BENGALURU: Even as the State government extended the survey duration and insisted that the target be completed before Deepavali, enumerators are complaining they have not got the first instalment of their remuneration. On September 26, the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission had issued an order to the Deputy Commissioner to release Rs 5,000 as the first instalment for each enumerator.
The Commission had issued an order stating that a sum of Rs 5,000 per enumerator be released for 1.20 lakh enumerators (excluding Greater Bengaluru limits), which adds up to more than Rs 60.36 crore. The first instalment was to be paid by the end of September. However, so far, enumerators have not received any amount.
The order stated that the remaining amount will be paid in the next instalment. Sources in the government said funds have already been released to Deputy Commissioners across districts. “It is DCs who are supposed to release funds to enumerators,’’ sources said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said each enumerator will be paid Rs 5,000 as a lump sum and Rs 100 per house covered. Each enumerator gets 150 houses, but in some places, teachers complain there is no uniformity in allotting houses to each of them.
Interestingly, the enumerators who took part in the Scheduled Castes internal reservation survey conducted by Justice Nagamohan Das Commission in May this year, are yet to get their remuneration. The enumerators were told they would be paid Rs 15,000 for the survey, but were given Rs 3,000 in August, and no amount was subsequently released. Sources in the government pointed out that this is one reason why enumerators were not interested in taking part in the survey.
A government teacher said, on condition of anonymity, that each of them was allotted a different number of houses to cover. “We are struggling to reach houses for the survey work. There are 60 questions. Some of my colleagues who took part in the previous survey in May/June are yet to get their payment. This is very discouraging,’’ the teacher said.
