PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday launched the 'Anywhere Registration Within District' facility under the National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS), describing it as a major citizen-centric reform that will reduce waiting time for registrations, improve transparency and strengthen Ease of Doing Business in Goa.
Sawant said the initiative would allow people to register documents at any Sub-Registrar office within their district, easing the burden on offices witnessing heavy footfall.
"Today, Goa is proud to become the third state in the country to introduce Anywhere Registration. We are continuously using technology to make governance more people-friendly and improve services for citizens," the Chief Minister said.
Sawant acknowledged that the new system could face minor technical issues during its initial rollout but expressed confidence that the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and Info Tech Corporation of Goa Limited (ITG) would resolve them promptly.
"Since this is a new initiative, there may be some initial problems. However, I am fully confident that NIC and ITG will address any issues that arise. This is a people-centric programme and we should not judge it solely by teething troubles," he said.
The Chief Minister said registration offices in Bardez, Pernem and Tiswadi have been witnessing long queues due to rapid development in these areas, resulting in delays in property registrations, marriage registrations and other documentation.
"People had to wait for long periods just to secure a registration slot. With this initiative, someone who would otherwise have to visit Mapusa can now choose another Sub-Registrar office within the district and complete the process more conveniently," Sawant said.
He stressed that the reform would particularly benefit senior citizens, NRIs and people travelling from outside the state by reducing waiting periods and improving access to registration services.
Sawant also called upon Sub-Registrars to maintain courteous interactions with the public, saying technology alone cannot replace good public service.
"Technology is important, but human relations are even more important. No matter how advanced technology becomes, the quality of service people receive will always depend on how they are treated," he said.
Highlighting the government's focus on digital governance, the Chief Minister said Goa has undertaken significant reforms in recent years by upgrading Sub-Registrar offices with improved infrastructure and technology.
He said the government expects the new system to reduce pendency, improve productivity and enable faster disposal of registration documents.
"This reform will improve productivity, reduce pendency and further strengthen Goa's Ease of Doing Business. We welcome suggestions from industry and stakeholders so that we can continue introducing citizen-friendly reforms," Sawant said.
Referring to the Centre's vision of digital governance, Sawant said the initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on technology-driven administration and Ease of Doing Business.
He also hinted that similar technology-enabled systems could be introduced in other government departments, including the Transport Department and Deputy Collector offices, in the future.
Congratulating the Registration Department, NIC, ITG and other officials involved in implementing the project, Sawant said Goa would continue expanding digital governance initiatives, with the long-term goal of introducing a state-wide registration system.
