A few days back in the evening I had been to the office of the Civil Registrar cum-Sub-Registrar in Mapusa to get my marriage certificate. I was embarrassed to see the location on the second high rise floor in the Essar Trade Centre building in the commercial heart of Mapusa Bazaar.
It serves the entire North Goa and mostly some part of Tiswadi Taluka. Sadly, no elevator has been installed since the office was inspected but manually one has to climb 63 steps to reach the office.
I have no knee problems but when I had reached the office my both legs complained of heaviness and I had to take rest for some time while on the chair. I wondered to think that in today’s world there are 70% people suffering from different disabilities. What will be their fate when they come here for their work?
Today, due to the exodus Goans to European countries for greener pastures making Portuguese passport and the rise in business of selling buying properties, houses, flats, etc, the office is always seen crowded mostly in the morning session. The worst hit are the physically challenged persons. Some are on wheel chairs while others have to be lifted up on the stretchers with the help of hired labourers to put their signatures on various documents. This causes great hardship and problems for ailing and aged persons.
Some time back a leading newspaper had highlighted the need to shift the office to the ground level, more in the interest of the handicapped. Also the High Court orders to build safe passage facilities for the disabled to reach all government run offices has not been adhered to by the office authority so far. Nobody seems to care.
Successive Governments merely announce competitive schemes for senior citizens and physically challenged persons and observe World days for them.
We are only respected during election time. Politicians ensure that the differently-abled are transported to the voting booths. It appears as if this is the only time that our political leaders care about the physically challenged.
It appears the tax-paying public are denied of safety and healthy environment while on the contrary the Government (politicians and ministers) officials are enjoying healthy environment in foreign countries at the cost of the tax payers’ money. Least we watch and forget we need to open our eyes and think when time comes. Request and petition the Government in the larger interest of the differently abled persons to shift the Mapusa Registrar office to the ground level.