MARGAO
Terming the ongoing exercise for updating Aadhaar cards as a “convenient method for inconvenience," social activist Dr Jorson Fernandes said the least that is expected is for the Planning and Statistics Department to take immediate corrective measures.
He said a visit to the government centre for updating your Aadhaar Card at the Government's Old Collectorate office in Margao, as specified by the Goa Government's Planning and Statistics Department, gives one message - that it is neither effective nor efficient, with the result, the public has been experiencing hardships and disappointments.
Jorson pointed out that whilst the government staff is always cooperative despite doing their normal routine work, the Planning and Statistics Department has not displayed the much-needed management efficiency in allotting them the added responsibilities, which include updating the data as well as taking biometrics, thus affecting the operational efficiency of the additional service to be rendered to the public.
“The laptops provided by the Department have keyboards which are not functional. Besides, these are not connected to the inverters with the result that often precious time of the citizens is lost for photo sessions. To make matters worse, there are no normal facilities available for the public and no proper seating arrangements, thus forcing the citizens to keep on standing for hours on end. Very recently, there was a 70-plus-year-old citizen and a mother with a young 5-year-old child standing up for more than one hour, waiting for their turn," he pointed out.
Jorson said the problems being faced by the citizens point to the lack of managerial efficiency and effectiveness of the Planning and Statistics Department which has provided the lists of the Aadhaar centres where updating can be done.
“This is resulting in poor performance vis-a-vis the citizens, who expect quality public service but experience utter disappointments," charged Jorson.
He said the Planning and Statistics Department has given the full list of the Aadhaar centres where citizens can avail of the services like updating the same, inclusive of name correction, change in the mobile number, etc. He, however, said most of these centres which are notified are not existing at all and as such much less functioning at all, like the Post Offices, some Banks and some Government Offices.
Saying that citizens cannot be faulted for asking for a quality delivery system, he said the way that the Planning and Statistics Department has made it known about the service on their website is a clever attempt to create a smokescreen as it does not solve the problem of the citizens as far as the changes are to be incorporated in Aadhar cards.
“The difficulties faced by the public are enormous. For most citizens who have to take leave from their work, it has become a herculean task. They not only have to spend more time, sometimes days to accomplish the task. It is problematic for senior citizens who have to go through several difficulties as well as spending time. One gets the feeling that with such an inefficient delivery system, citizens are losing trust in the government due to lack of quality public service which has been very disappointing," Jorson said.
