It’s surprising and shocking to note that some of the government departments such as Assistant Registrar Office, Margao, still follow the age-old system of functioning.
Recently, I visited the Assistant Registrar Office, Margao to file annual returns of our society at 10.05 am. The lady clerk accepted my file, examined it and then told me that she would prepare a challan for Rs 100, which I had to pay at the State Bank of India branch. When enquired why I can’t pay in their office, she promptly replied stating that they don’t have a system in place to receive the payments. Wanted to meet the Assistant Registrar but unfortunately he wasn’t available.
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Reached SBI branch at 10.25 am, stood in a queue, when my turn came, the payment receiving clerk informs me that it takes about an hour or two to register the challan in her computer. More waiting and then something irritating happened. All computer systems inside the bank were down and entire payment/receipt work stopped. Every customer standing in different lines were on their tired feet just waiting.
After about 20 minutes, the computers came alive and activities began. At 11.15 am again, I checked if my challan copy is available in the computer. The answer was negative. I waited till 12 noon and then checked again with the bank’s teller. No, was the expected reply. I then decided to return home and try my luck the next day. Anyway, I managed to make payment after standing in a long queue for about 45 minutes.
Now, I don’t have an issue with the SBI, everyone knows that work in the banks always moves at a slow pace, but my resentment is with the Assistant Registrar Office, which shows no concern or respect to the citizens, compelling them to visit the SBI for payment of a paltry amount of Rs 100, and waste two or three hours and then return back to Assistant Registrar’s Office with two photo copies of paid the challan and if unlucky waste another day in this futile exercise, resulting in waste of time, energy and patience.
It’s high time that the Government of Goa wakes up to the fact that the country is moving ahead fast by taking advantage of technological revolution and online payments. Unfortunately, some of their offices are still practicing outmoded style of functioning. It’s a real shame that even in 2020, the same obsolete methodology followed in 2000, still continues. It’s the apathy of the senior bureaucrats that is responsible for this pathetic state of affairs in the government departments.
