the goan I network
MARGAO
Tempers ran high at the citizens service centre (CSC) in the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex on Thursday morning as the servers were down, leaving a number of motorists, who had come to pay fees for the passing of vehicles, fuming.
Citizens were seen questioning the rationale of the government to bring the transport department under the ambit of CSC when RTO offices are located at two different places.
Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco, who was called by the aggrieved citizens to take up their cause with the government, demanded status quo in respect of the payment of fees of the transport department till the RTO offices, both registration and enforcement, are brought to the Matanhy Saldanha complex.
Trouble began when taxi owners and motorcycle pilot lined up in the CSC as early as 10 am to pay the prescribed fees for passing of vehicles before they head to the RTO office at Arlem for the vehicle passing.
To their shock and surprise, though they were issued a token at 10 am, they were left stranded in the CSC for full three hours till 1 pm as they feared that their plans to get the passing of vehicles could not be done for no fault of theirs.
They pointed out that the new system has forced them to run from pillar to post ever since the transport services were brought under the CSC. “Under the new system, we have to first approach the RTO registration office at the Osia Commercial Complex and rush to the Matanhy Saldanha complex to make the payments and then head to the RTO Arlem for the passing of the vehicles,” the beleaguered motorists told the media.
Moreover, they pointed out that they are forced to cough up an additional amount of Rs 60 just because they avail the CSC services, in addition to the GST charges.
Taking up cudgels for the beleaguered taxi owners and pilots, Reginaldo Lourenco said he has already written a letter to the government and the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to maintain status quo in respect of the transport services till the RTO offices are all shifted to the Matanhy Saldanha Complex.
“All this is happening because this government is insensitive to the problems faced by the common man. This problem is bound to recur because the RTO offices are located at two different places at Arlem and Osia and the CSC is situated in the Collectorate. I have told the government to maintain status quo till the RTO offices are shifted in the Collectorate,” he added.
As the functioning of the CSC came to a halt and the officials maintaining they cannot issue payment receipts manually, Reginaldo spoke to the Transport Director over the phone with a plea to revert back to the old system till the RTO offices are shifted to the Collectorate.
Questions have been raised in the corridors of the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex whether the CSC is equipped with both manpower and required systems to handle all the departments when the government has plans to bring all the government services under the Citizens Service Centre by the year-end.
