the goan I network
MARGAO
Mahila Congress activists led by President Pratima Coutinho were arrested by the Fatorda police after they virtually laid siege to the office of the Salcete Sub-Registrar for two-long hours in protest against the inordinate delays to issue birth certificates.
Before they were whisked away by the police, the Mahila Congress set a seven-day ultimatum on the Sub-Registrar Domingos Martins to streamline the office or face the wrath of the people.
Besides Pratima, Mahila Congress activists arrested by the police under Section 151 of the CrPC for breach of peace, includes Georgina Gama, Pratibha Borkar, Regina Dias, Priya Rathod, Pooja Mayekar, Lalan Parsekar and Reshma Sayed. They were all released on a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each after they were produced before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Margao later in the evening.
The eight Mahila Congress workers made their presence felt in the Sub-Registrar office at around 11.30 am demanding to know why the office take months and months to issue a birth certificate.
Pratima pointed out that applicants make beeline at the Sub-Registrar office early morning with the hope of laying their hand on their documents, but return home disappointed for want of staff to issue the certificates.
She reminded that the Mahila Congress workers had visited the office around a month ago with a request to the government to set thing rights in the office, but in vain. “Why is this government so insensitive to the needs of the people. People are waiting for their birth certificates not just for days or weeks, but months together. Senior citizens, who approach the office for their birth documents are the worst affected, but the government has been insensitive to attend to their problems,” she said.
Pratima and her team squatted in the Sub-Registrar office as they laid a siege demanding the presence of the Director of Planning & Statistics in the office to resolve the issue. Heated exchanges ensued with the Fatorda police personnel before the men-in-uniform whisked the Mahila Congress to the police station.
Sub-Registrar Domingos Martins later told the media that the office has only four staffers to attend to the applicants when the office requires around 10 employees to clear the load.
“On an average, the office is in receipt of around 150 applications and the office gives tokens for 70 applicants,” he said, while saying his office has briefed the higher authorities about the manpower shortage.
