Panaji/MAPUSA
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday assured that prominent government offices, such as the Mapusa Sub-Registrar's office, which are regularly used by the public would be shifted to the ground floor to facilitate easy access.
Responding to a concern raised by Aldona MLA Glenn Ticlo, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday assured the House that the government will begin shifting offices with heavy footfall to lower levels of buildings to facilitate easy access to senior citizens and differently-abled persons.
"Public interface offices will be shifted to the ground floor or the first floor. I know that people face hardships at Mapusa sub-registrar office, where the lift isn't functional. It is a public building, not owned by the government and PWD has to go through a long procedure before they get to repairing the lift each time. There are many more such offices and we will look into it," Parrikar stated.
Getting into the Mapusa office of the Civil Registrar cum Sub-Registrar is a tall task for an average citizen, particularly to the senior citizens.
First of all, locating the office is a huge task due to complicated design of the building. People sometimes get lost due to complicated and multiple entries to the top floor.
The building has a lift, but it has been non-functional for the last six to seven years. Senior citizens, particularly the handicapped have great difficulty to get into the office due to non-functioning of the lift.
The building appears to be badly maintained and the staircase is always dirty and dusty.
Also, the road leading to the civil registrar office is completely washed off, making it difficult for motorists to negotiate the road.
Since the building is located near the Mapusa market, finding a parking slot is very cumbersome near the building.
"The office is related to general public for marriage registration and to register all documents, so a lot of people visit the office. There is no place for people to sit as the office is always crowded. Even the bride and bridegroom who come to register their marriage have no proper place to sit. This office is real a mess," said Adv Mahesh Rane, a resident of Mapusa.
