Chennai: The involvement of state government officials in election duty is increasing the delay in clearing files in government offices. Bearing the brunt of this procrastination once again are the hapless members of the public.
Complaints about lack of file movement in Tahsildar, sub-registrar, district collector among other offices are mounting with allegations that even RTI applications are not being reviewed by officials. For instance, K. Vadivelan of Sriperumbudur, who had been waiting nearly two years to be issued a new ration card was told by authorities that his application will not be processed until after the elections.
“Ideally, ration card has to be issued in under a period of two to three months but since our system takes its own sweet time, the public have gotten used to the fact that it will take one or two years. However, this election work is only an excuse to cover up for their laxity,” complained P. Senthil Kumar, RTI activist and a resident of Iyyappanthangal.
Senthil himself was at the receiving end of the bureaucratic red tape, when even after seven months he could not get a property document issued from the Tiruttani sub-registrar’s office. The document was issued finally last week but only after Senthil’s cause had been taken up by the local media.
“The irony is that our family was told by the document writer that unless Rs 10,000 is paid (as bribe), the file would not even be processed. So, we did but what I have had an issue with is that if the bribe had helped us get the document issued in ten days’ fine, then I don’t mind. The fact that it took seven months despite the bribe is unsettling,” he added.
If that is one extreme, the case of Usha Srinivasan, a T. Nagar resident, is one where delay in issuing a legal heir certificate in her name is making her wonder if at all money is a factor. “I need the certificate issued in my name so that I can take ownership of an apartment which was in my mother’s name. The need arose after her death and as there was no will,” she said.
After having filed the application in August 2015, officials at the Mambalam-Guindy Tahsildar officer had quite literally been playing a cat-and-mouse game with her about following up on the application. “Every time I ask them to send someone for inspection, they have an excuse. Of course, the December floods can be exempted but the reasons floated before and much after the floods is making me wonder. At least, if they would come for the inspection ritual then I would know if they are expecting me to pay or not,” Usha added.
When DC contacted the tahsildar’s office, the reason given for the delay was that those officers in charge of inspection and issuing a legal heir certificate are locked in election duty in Virugambakkam and another constituency. “Otherwise, we are clearing files. Even the tahsildar is working overtime to ensure that the routine is not affected,” said an official.
