GUILHERME ALMEIDA
South Goa District Collector Venancio Furtado’s “administration at the door steps” may have earned him kudos from the government and citizens alike. The administration may even dish out statistics of the number of certificates issued and cases disposed off during round one of the taluka-wise exercise held earlier this month. But, surely the district administration has its task cut out to put its house in order by streamlining the day-to-day administration and disposing off the backlog of cases some of which have been pending for months now, if not years.
The huge backlog of cases does not augur well for an administration which swears by good governance. There are citizens’ complaints galore that litigants return home disappointed with repeated adjournment of cases at the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s court. The number of revenue cases piling before the Sub-Divisional Officers has hit a high. Cases pertaining to conversions and partition of land have reached alarming levels. Appeals pertaining to Mundcarial, tenancy and other revenue matters are also pending before the SDOs.
Statistics available with Herald reveal that around 351 cases under Section 107 of the Cr PC pertaining to breach of peace are pending with the SDM’s office. A citizen from Sao Jose de Areal Menino Santan Fernandes informed that his matter did not come up for hearing at the SDM’s court for six months, between January-June this year. While adjournment of the cases was literally the order of the day, the litigants maintained that the situation did not spare them from shelling out money to pay the lawyer’s fees.
Land revenue cases dealt by the two deputy collectors in Margao also merit attention. Till date partition cases pending before him have zoomed to a whopping 2312, while cases of conversions under Sections 32 and 33 of the Land Revenue Code have crossed 1500.
Inquiries revealed that the system needs urgent streamlining in matters pertaining to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Sub-Divisional Officers (Deputy Collectors). SDM Sangeeta Naik says: “Because of the Lok Sabha election, the entire machinery was caught up in election work. It is a fact that cases had to be adjourned before the election till the completion of the election process. Besides, law and order duties also consume a lot of time, resulting in adjournment of the cases.”
Officials said a lone Sub-Divisional Magistrate in a thickly-populated taluka such as Salcete certainly needs more hands. An official in the know said the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Margao, is also in-charge of the demolition and flying squads for the entire South Goa. ‘Besides the SDM is also Returning officer during elections for constituencies in the division and has to record dying declarations and identification parades for want of a Special Judicial Magistrate,” he remarked.
A senior official has also called for toning up of the administration to make the SDMs and SDOs office responsive to the people. “Margao has two SDOs, but it is hit by staff crunch. We need additional LDCs, UDCs, Awal Karkuns and stenos. The offices also need additional computers to meet the growing requirements. There are no computers in the court rooms,” remarked another official.
Collector on
twin missions
District Collector, Venancio Furtado has embarked on “mission mutation and partition” with the number of pending mutation and partition cases reaching alarming proportions in the district
The number of mutation cases in South Goa are pegged at a whopping 5514.
Salcete accounts for nearly 3000 cases, while pending partition cases in the taluka stand at 2312.
Furtado has embarked on the twin missions to dispose off the cases in a time-bound manner.
After reviewing the cases, he has instructed the concerned revenue officials to submit the status of mutation and partition cases on a weekly basis.
Furtado to explore the possibility of appointing a SDM-II with designated duties in a bid to streamline the office functioning.
SYNOPSIS
Overall administration: The huge backlog of cases does not augur well for an administration which swears by good governance. There are citizens’ complaints galore that litigants return home disappointed with repeated adjournment of cases at the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s Court. The number of revenue cases piling before the Sub-Divisional Officers has hit a high. Cases pertaining to conversions and partition of land have reached alarming levels. Appeals pertaining to Mundcarial, tenancy and other revenue matters are also pending before the SDOs.
Social Welfare Department: Even after a year and half since the office was opened with much fanfare, the district office has been virtually functioning as a “drop box” facility and the skeletal staff as function as postmen – receiving the forms for applicants for doles and schemes and forwarding the same to the Panjim head office for scrutiny and disposal.
Power Department: The non-functioning ornamental lamps along the two-lane road from Margao flyover to the Navelim Church have brought the Power Department administration under the scanner of citizens. Officials in the know said whenever they approach the central stores for spares, they are told to first seek prior permission of the Power Minister, Milind Naik’s office before they receive their consignment.
Salcete Mamlatdar: Of the 3887 cases, over a thousand cases have been dragging on with the Mamlatdars for three years and more. Another 1400 cases have been pending and awaiting disposal over the last one to three years. Statistics revealed that the number of mudcarial cases pending with the Mamlatdar and the Joint Mamlatdars are put at 617. Around 429 tenancy cases are presently pending with the officials.
