Mapusa Registry Office inconveniencing citizens

The Mapusa office of the Civil Registrar cum Sub-registrar is located on the fourth floor of a private building behind the main Mapusa market. One might say, “So what! So many other offices are located on the second floor of various buildings.” True. But as a senior citizen, I have many problems with the office premises and staff of the Office of the Civil Registrar cum Sub-Registrar in Mapusa. 

1. As mentioned earlier, the office is on the second floor and the steps are not senior citizen/ handicapped friendly. The steps are filthy with dirt, dust and papers accumulated on the stairways. There is a lift in the building, but it seems that it is a mere ornament to get through the building laws. I am sure the Government must be paying a hefty sum as rent. (This could easily be found out via RTI). Surely, the Government ought to have made provisions for availability of the lift when signing the lease agreement. Physically handicapped persons cannot easily access the office contrary to all established norms. Also, many parts of the staircase do not have banisters making them extremely dangerous. This is mostly on floor landings.

2. People seeking certificates are made to search the original books. This has an adverse effect on the books as sometimes they are carelessly handled and many people are not averse to tearing pages from the registers, unmindful of the fact that they are inconveniencing others or that they are destroying precious and rare documents for their own selfish interests. Also there is no seating arrangement for people to search. One has to stand and keep the books on a low counter which is below waist level for an average grown up. Thus, one has to bend to read the fine spidery handwriting written in a foreign language. Within ten minutes or less of this, one starts developing a severe lower back pain, neck pain and eye strain. Should senior citizens or for that matter should any citizen be subjected to such torture?

3. People are greeted with chaos when they land in the office after negotiating the steep staircase. There is no reception desk or if it is there it is not properly indicated. There are no sign boards, no orderly queues, but just\ milling crowds of people, each wanting to get his/ her work done and to be gone from the oppressive office. If anyone asks, they are shunted from desk to desk. Elderly people are often shouted at. People are treated like animals rather than being treated like humans which is a total violation of human rights. 

4. The staff of this office is unhelpful. What is more shameful is that they openly collude with touts. If one expresses inability to trace ones documents, a tout is promptly pointed at and you are told that the tout is your saviour and only he can find your documents. I can name a couple of them. This tout/clerk nexus must be broken up. 

5. Recently, on behalf of another senior citizen who has a knee problem and is unable to climb the stairs, I approached the Office to get 10 copies of a death certificate. I had the numbers of the certificate and was told to meet another clerk whom I met. This second clerk told me that the documents for that year were unavailable. But if by chance I had an original copy, I should bring a photostat copy and it would be 'attested' by the Office. So I went off to get the original. When I brought the original, which had all the signs and seals and bells and whistles, I was told to get the copy notarized and that only one copy would be done. After getting the copy notarized (unnecessary expense and procedure in my opinion as the original was available for comparison.) I was told to come and collect the certificate the following week. So for one certificate, I had to climb the stairs thrice. I asked the clerk what I should do if I need another copy of the certificate. He said come again and repeat the same procedure. I pointed out that this is extremely unfair and tantamount to harassment. His laconic answer was there is no staff to write the certificate. 

Heaven's almighty! In panchayats, they computer type your certificates and here is a major office of the Civil Registrar cum Sub Registrar hand writing certificates. Is this digital India? And to notarize the same certificate 10 times for ten copies is ridiculous. The registry clerks seem to be forgetting that these certificates are not free - they are paid for by the public and which sum of money goes towards their fat sixth pay commission salaries.