People in the know said that when the Goa government took over the notarial work from the Portuguese public notaries around 1965, they were asked to hand over all the books and records to the then government appointed ex-officio notaries. While handing over the documents, the public notaries had also handed over all the indexes and also books of records. Many say that these indexes were existing and in good condition, when the Notarial section was functioning from the Margao municipal building and the office was shifted to the Osia Commercial Complex.
“These indexes are an important piece of records. Without indexes, no search can be carried out, denying people the access to the main books. In the absence of such indexes, people have been denied information. If the official says that the indexes are mutilated and missing, why have the authorities not put in place new indexes,” questioned a person in the know.
Sub-Registrar Suraj Vernekar, however, begged to differ. “These records have not gone missing when the office was being shifted from the Osia Complex to the Collectorate. It is a fact the indexes have been damaged or mutilated, but certainly they have not just gone missing,” he said.
