Precious documents to record some of the more important moments of your life from the cradle to the grave may be under water, in this office of the Registrar in Margao.
The registrar office was incidentally shifted from its earlier premises at the Power House in Aquem in the year 2006. However, monsoon related problems continued here. The situation has worsened over the last 8 days. Buckets to collect rain water constantly dripping from a leaking ceiling are strategically placed. Trays kept on the floor and tarpaulin cover on the cupboards.
The public visiting the office have to walk slowly so as to avoid slipping down and the sight of a deteriorating ceiling where damage is visible or the sight of water passing on electrical items like bulbs has actually left them worried that an accident can take place any day. There are also fears of a short circuit or a fall and yet the government authorities have not acted on this in earnest.
“A lot of people travel very far from office and need to check sensitive documents. This is now only a time consuming process because of all the precautions involved,” said Osboure Estibeiro from Vasco.
“I can already see some bulbs not working and small cemented portion of the ceiling fallen down and water everywhere. This matter has to be looked into as it will only get worse with the rains,” said Jacinta Fernandes from Benaulim.
The registrar office houses key documents related to 1,242 societies from Salcete and Vasco and there is a fear about these documents getting damaged in the process as they stand to get wet. These documents include recovery details and election records of these cooperative societies.
To protect these documents, tarpaulin cover has been put on the cupboard and there are even instances of people using umbrellas in the office along with tubs and buckets but with a leaky ceiling and water on the floors, the chances of documents getting damaged are indeed high.
In the beginning this was a source of humour and amusement for members of the public visiting the office but now they have raised concerns and questioned why the situation has not improved given that there have been similar instances of water entering the office in the previous years. It is a given that even though the office opens at 9 am the staff have to spend some time clearing the water from the floor and this was the scenario on Monday where water had collected over the weekend. One can even see office staff folding their clothes to their ankles to avoid contact with water. There are even some places in the office that employees do not venture to and leave that area unattended due to the wet surface and also there is a fear of switching on certain electrical items due to the dampness of the wall. Incidentally there are 36 employees in the office.
The office pays rent of Rs 30,500 per month to the Gomant Vidya Niketan and even with such a hefty amount the problems persist. When contacted, Registrar South Zone, Anil K Dessai, Margao, said that they had written to the GVN secretary and had informed his seniors about the situation. While GVN carried out an inspection of the area it appears that that the repairs that required are major and would be costly and won’t happen anytime soon. When asked if there had been a demand to shift the office to the district collectorate, staff members pointed out that this had been conveyed to the head office.
But for now, carry not just your umbrella and rain coat but gumboots, gloves and even a helmet if you want to be not just dry but safe. Meanwhile leave the safety of your documents at the Registrar’s office, to the almighty.
