the goan I network
MARGAO
Will the New Year 2019 ring in good news for the thousands of birth records dumped in the administrative section of the Margao Municipal Council for want of endorsements on the live birth records?
Strange it may seem, but true that while the Margao Municipal Council has been prompt in correcting birth documents over the years, the changes in these documents do not reflect on the live birth registers of the civic body, raising questions in the corridors of the Municipal body how this criminal negligence was just allowed to continue for over a decade now.
Blame it on manpower constraints or simply lethargy, it has come to light that corrections to the birth documents have been effected only in the computer, and not on the live birth registers over the years.
This has thrown up a peculiar situation wherein the computerised birth records do not match with the records entered in the live birth register purely because of the failure by the civic body to make endorsements in the live register.
A month ago, the Margao Municipal Council headed by Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai had adopted a resolution to rope in two retired employees to carry out the task of endorsing the changes in the birth documents in the live register. Sadly, the resolution has not been implemented till date for want of compilation of the minutes of the meeting, with Babita promising to commence work on the endorsements as early as possible.
The Margao municipality, however, is facing an uphill task with officials in the know saying that engaging the two retired employees may not serve the purpose with thousands of birth records awaiting endorsements on the live registers. “It may take months, if not years, before the civic body completes the task of carrying out endorsements. Employing two retired employees will not solve the issue,” remarked an official.
Chairperson Babita, however, said the Council is making a beginning by roping in the two retired employees. “Let us see how the two employees will help overcome the lacunae in the birth records. We can review the situation after four months. If need be, the Municipality will not hesitate to rope in additional manpower to achieve the objective,” Babita added.
Officials in the know informed that birth documents, which were corrected for around a decade ago, are awaiting endorsements for want of workers. “The existing work force is busy occupied with day to day work in the birth section, including making corrections in the birth documents,” sources said.
An official warned that the civic body should accord priority for work concerning endorsements in the live birth registers before the documents dumped in the administrative section for want of space go missing.
