State govt. to re-open Dharwad Aadhaar centre soon

The State government will re-open the Aadhaar service centre in Dharwad soon, Deputy Commissioner Divya Prabhu G.R.J. said in Hubballi on Monday.

She said that the Dharwad centre was closed as its tender period got over but it will be restarted soon.

“Steps have been taken to start Aadhaar service centers to serve the citizens of the twin cities and one such centre started working in Hubballi today. The Aadhaar center that was previously operating in Dharwad has temporarily stopped its service as the tender period has expired and steps have already been taken to start an Aadhaar service center in Dharwad soon through a new tender process. The district administration has submitted a proposal already,” she said.

She was speaking after inaugurating the new Aadhaar Seva-UIDAI center at the Jola Complex behind SBI Bank in Bhavaninagar in Hubballi.

“An Aadhaar Kendra was functioning successfully in Hubballi from 2019 to 2025. After its tender period ended, the new tender process was completed and now this center has been re-opened in Keshwapur. Earlier, there were a total of eight centers in the State. After the re-opening, the services have been expanded to 22 major centers,” she said.

“People will now be able to register for a new Aadhaar card, correct name, address, mobile number and date of birth, update biometrics, photo, fingerprint and eye scan and other Aadhaar related services,” she said.

Earlier, members of Dharwad Dhwani staged a protest against the closure of Aadhaar centres in Dharwad.

They gathered in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner, demanding reopening of an Aadhaar Seva Kendra.

Congress leader Deepak Chinchore said that Union Minister Pralhad Joshi is behind the move to shift the Aadhaar centre in Dharwad to Hubballi.

“Hundreds of people used to visit this centre daily for services such as Aadhaar card enrolment, name correction, updates and corrections, change of address, mobile number linking and other related services. The centre used to provide services in a simple manner and within a short time, even for a large number of applicants. As a result, people not only from Dharwad city and rural areas but also from neighbouring taluks used to come here. However, after the centre was shifted to Hubballi, residents of the city and surrounding areas are facing severe difficulties,’’ he said.

“Although Aadhaar-related services are available at the post office and at a few private online centres in the city, timely service is not available for a large number of applicants. Moreover, as higher fees are being charged for these services, it has opened the door for exploitation of the general public,” he said.

Protestors took out a padayatra from Mandi Plaza near Kittur Chennamma Park to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The Aadhaar Seva Kendra has been operating in the Mandi Plaza building. However, the centre was abruptly shut down on Sunday and has now been shifted to Keshwapur in Hubballi. They demanded the continuation of this centre.

In a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner office, they warned of an agitation if the centre is not reopened.

Leaders like Ishwar Shivalli, Basavaraj Jadhav, Gouramma Balogi, Shivanand Kavali, Manju Nadatti, Santosh Pattanashetti, Bheemappa Kasai and others were present.