Why is the common man made to wait for months and years and do repeated rounds of the offices of taluka mamlatdars for a mutation when the sons and daughters of VIPs can get it done in a day or two? This is a common refrain that rings out across the offices of the taluka mamlatdars in South Goa in general and Salcete in particular as a huge backlog of 5514 mutation applications stares at the revenue authorities in South Goa.
That’s not all. Herald inquiries have revealed that in Salcete itself, around 718 mutation applications are pending with the Mamlatdar and Joint Mamlatdar for more than three years, with no sign of the proceedings coming to an early end till date.
Statistics revealed that nearly 3,000 out of 5,514 mutation applications pending with the Mamlatdars are from Salcete taluka alone. Mormugao follows suit with 891 applications, Quepem 749, Sanguem 425, Canacona 338 and Dharbandora 122 applications.
While Deputy Collector, Revenue, Surendra Naik has attributed the huge backlog in Salcete to the number of fresh applications received by the Mamlatdars every month, the common man, however, believes that mutation process has become the hotbed of corruption. Surendra, however, felt that affected parties ought to complain to the higher officials if unscrupulous officials demand bribe to settle a mutation. “We will certainly act”, Surendra added.
Instances, however, are galore when the applications remain pending for months, if not years, for no fault of the applicant. Take the case of Betty Rodrigues from Per-Seraulim. Betty had to run from pillar to post before the revenue officials were directed by the State level panel to carry out the mutation of her property. She has now dragged the revenue officials to the Goa Human Rights Commission for mental harassment and torture.
Activist Dominic Noronha cited an instance wherein his close friend had to wait for close to four years to get a mutation done. “My friend had filed an application for mutation in 2010. To his shock and surprise, he was told that the application went missing from the office. However, when I filed an RTI application before the Mamlatdar, the officials said the file has been traced. The mutation was finally done two months ago after nearly four years”, he said, while demanding that the government come out with a time-bound mechanism to streamline the mutation process.
Statistics further reveal that of the 2,989 pending cases pertaining to Salcete, a whopping 1,143 have been pending before the Mamlatdars for the last one year. Around 775 applications have been pending for a period between 1-2 years, while another 352 applications for mutation have been found pending for 2-3 years now. Salcete taluka itself receives on an average around 350 fresh mutation applications every month on an average.
While the Deputy Collector, Revenue has attributed the back log to the procedure laid down in respect of mutation, city-based lawyer and former member of the Goa Law Commission, Adv Cleofato Coutinho said it’s time the government does away with the discretion given to the officials entrusted with mutation work. “The officials ought to be guided by clear cut rules and do away with the discretion. The government should also dispense with the issuance of notices if the title is clear”, he said. He has strongly rooted for a first in, first out system to check corrupt practices in mutation. “We have come across cases wherein new cases are disposed off first for obvious reasons when the pending cases have been awaiting attention from the officials. This should stop immediately”, Adv Coutinho demanded.
Over a year ago, the district Collectorate, South was hit by allegations that a private agency was taking money in the range of Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 from applicants, promising a mutation. Sadly, neither any action was initiated by the district revenue officials on the complaints nor was any probe ordered to find out whether the agency was acting in connivance with unscrupulous officials working in the district Collectorate.
