the goan I network
MAPUSA
From delay in settling partition cases to partisan orders passed by revenue officials, issues of illegal land filling to encroachment of footpaths, a flood of complaints greeted Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte at the first public grievance meeting organized in Bardez.
Khaunte, in his inimitable style, did not disappoint promising to take action against errant government servants and to provide answers and solutions to the queries raised by the public within three months.
Setting the ball rolling, Adv Preeti Namshekar said that her file on the partition case was apparently gathering dust before the competent authority even as she failed to get a single notice on the case.
“Sir, I presented a partition file in the department more than three months ago. But till today I have not received a single notice from the official concerned. If a partition file takes more than three months then what will be the fate of common man,” Namshekar asked.
Raising the issue of illegal land filling and construction in Calangute, Deputy Sarpanch Roopa Chodankar said there was rampant land filling activity taking place in her ward in Calangute but despite complaints, no official cared to take action.
“Large scale land-filling has been going in the fields and open spaces. Some have even constructed shops after filling the fields with mud. The government should apply its mind and take action on such blatant illegal activities,” Chodankar appealed.
Secretary of Mapusa People’s Union, Jawaharlal Shetye disclosed that a tout/agent was having a ball in the department liaising with a distressed client and the government officials.
“As per the public service act every department should have a public grievance cell and the concerned departments should hold regular meetings of the cell. But most departments including the deputy collector’s office fail to do so,” Shetye said.
After listening attentively to such pointed and incisive issues for more than an hour, the revenue minister finally acknowledged that some officers did exhibit flexibility to reach out and resolve problems faced by the public.
Promising to act tough on errant officers, Khaunte informed the gathering that his government aimed to provide good governance to the people. “The revenue department has been first to bring about several reforms to ensure easy access to information and providing online services,” he said.
He said under the right to time bound service act around 9000 mutation cases were disposed off in last one year.
He further said that the government also planned to provide access to mutation cases online.
“As part of reforms the government has provided court monitoring software to all the offices and streamlined work procedures,” he said.
