Single Aadhaar Centre Causes Long Queues and Daily Struggles for Bhatkal Residents
Limited tokens and repeated visits leave citizens frustrated and financially affected
Bhatkal (Fikrokhabar News): Residents of Bhatkal taluk are facing growing difficulties in accessing Aadhaar-related services due to the presence of only one operational Aadhaar enrolment centre. What should be a routine process—applying for a new Aadhaar card or correcting minor details—has turned into a stressful and time-consuming task for the public.
Every morning, long queues form outside the Bhatkal Post Office, the only Aadhaar centre currently functioning in the taluk. People begin waiting from early hours, but many are forced to return without assistance as only a limited number of tokens are issued daily. Elderly citizens, women, and individuals travelling from rural areas are among those most affected.
Officials confirmed that the Aadhaar centre previously operating at the Mini Vidhana Soudha was closed nearly a month ago. Since then, the post office has been handling the entire taluk’s Aadhaar workload. At present, just 30 to 40 tokens are distributed each day from Monday to Saturday, which falls far short of public demand.
Daily wage earners are bearing the brunt of the situation. Many report losing income after taking time off work for multiple visits. Residents say delays in Aadhaar updates are affecting school admissions, banking processes, access to government welfare schemes, and other essential services.
In response, citizens have appealed to the district administration and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to intervene immediately. They have demanded the reopening of the Aadhaar centre at the Mini Vidhana Soudha, establishment of additional centres within the taluk, and an increase in the daily token limit.
Community leaders have stressed that Aadhaar is now essential for most government and private transactions. Any disruption in access to Aadhaar services, they warn, only worsens public inconvenience. People believe that swift administrative action is crucial to prevent the situation from escalating further.
