MARGAO
From Prashasan Tumchya Dari initiative in mid-March to Monday’s Janata Darbar, has the government’s novel exercise aimed at taking the administration to people’s doorsteps helped sort out issues plaguing the common man?
Issues relating to GEL’s online services highlighted during Prashasan Tumchya Dari at the South district Collectorate presided over by Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte, have come back to haunt the government -- this time Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate.
In fact, when Monserrate descended at the South district Collectorate to preside over the government’s Janata Darbar, the same old complaints against GEL’s online services dispensed via the Citizens Service Centre at the Collectorate reverberated at the Darbar, throwing up questions whether the government has failed to initiate measures to ensure that GEL’s online services gel with the requirements.
When Monserrate’s attention was drawn to the hardships faced by Saxttikars just because the online portal has no flexibility to meet the requirements, the Minister sought to know from south revenue officials why these issues were not brought to the government’s notice.
Sympathizing with the grievances highlighted by members of the public, Revenue Secretary Sandeep Jacques underscored the need to adopt both on-line and off-line services for the two per cent cases which do not fit in GEL’s portal.
City-based journalist Arvind Tengse raised the issue how a 63-year-old woman could not get her residence certificate since she could not get her school leaving certificate, a criteria mandatory in the GEL online portal. He further pointed out that when Joint Mamlatdars proceeded on leave in May, people from Salcete, more so students seeking admissions in professional colleges had to suffer to obtain the birth certificates.
When Monserrate told Salcete Mamlatdar Laxmikant Desai to answer the issue one by one, he conceded that GEL officials decide at their end since all these services are now online.
This prompted Jacques to tell the district Collector, Asvin Chandru to simplify the process by making changes in the GEL software. “We need to be practical. You cannot expect a 60-year old woman to get the SSC certificate at this old age. There ought to be options. In a worst scenario, there should be a system where somebody certifies the applicant before being issued the document”, he said.
Jacques added: “Let us come with out of box solutions. The GEL software should have a system wherein if one officer proceeds on leave, the applications are automatically pushed to some other officer. We need to address these teething problems”.
When the media later sought to know from the Revenue Minister whether people can look forward for any changes in the services dispensed by GEL, Monserrate said since the issues have been addressed to the government, a solution will be worked out by involving the Chief Minister.
While leaving the Collectorate, the Revenue Minister unveiled his mantra to bureaucrats at the Janata Darbar “ guide citizens properly, direct them to the right authorities so that they do not run from pillar to post for official work. “Many issues will be resolved automatically if the citizens are properly guided by the authorities”, he added.
