In response to: Message: 7
Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2011 08:54:50 -0400 From: Pandu Lampiao <pan...@gmail.com> To: "Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!" Subject : Mamlatdar... first class magistrate? Pandu is right; almost all Notaries attest blindly for a good fee but Mamlatdars do it a lot cheaper but with lot more fuss. I had once a very unpleasant experience. Just before my daughters wedding I went to see the Registrar at Margao and told him that my son-in-law to be was from Navelim and since it came under his Jurisdiction, asked him what documents were required, I was told I should get a residency certificate from the Canacona Mamlatdar stating that my daughter was from my village. So I told him that I had my daughter's ration card, passport and the election card which specifically state that my daughter is form Nuem of Khola village in Canacona Taluka. So he said even then the residency certificate was needed. So I walk into the Mamltdar's office a few days later, with all the required documents at my disposal, I asked my daughter to sit outside and I went to the Mamlatdar, being a Judicial Magistrate, had to ask permission if I could come into his presence, my wish was accepted and there I was infront of him with all my documents (daughter's), birth certificate, election card, passport, school and college certificates along with my ration card, with me as the head of the family and my daughter's name clearly mentioned on it, my passport, election card and ofcourse the original telephone and electricity bill and house tax receipts. I am sure some may wonder why I had to carry all the above mentioned documents. It's no laughing matter from past experience I know our authorities can ask for any weird and absurd and we are expected to produce it. Here I am in front of the Mamlatdar, Yes, why are you here ? was the first question, I wasn't surprised at all with the absence of any courtesy, well I said, I am told that I need to have a residency certificate for my daughter's civil registration, are you from Canacona ? Was the next question followed with, have you taken a residency certificate before ? Yes, I am from Canacona and no I have never taken a residency certificate before. Ok was the call and do you have your daughters birth certificate, ration card, election card ? Yes and here they are. The Mamlatdar looked at the name on the ration card and then the election card and then looked at the birth certificate and there was a sly smile on his face (probably thinking of a bribe), he said the ration and the election cards were ok but birth certificate says born in Margao, which would be a problem, do you have the school certificate ? yes, and along with that I gave the Graduation certificate as well, hummm, we certainly have a big problem here, he said, I was amused, I had all my documents right and what could be the problem ? Then came the sarcasm, he said "your daughter was born in Margao, finished school in Margao and College too in Margao so how come you are here, you should go to Margao for the residency certificate". Surprisingly I did not loose my cool, I gave him my very broad smile and I asked him if he had been to my village and he said yes, so I asked him if he saw any hospitals there, the smile had disappeared, so I went on I am sure you did not see any hospitals but did you see any good schools ? Again no answer and I made a further point, there are no colleges either, so how did you expect me to get these certificates from Canacona, Canacona proper is 30 KMtrs from my village and Margao is 23 KMtrs so where do you expect us to go ? After some time he asked me to show some other proof that my daughter was the resident of Nuem Village. So I said, the ration card says she is the resident of the Village, the passport says she is the resident of the village, and the election card too says she is the resident of the village what more proof do you need are all these documents not authentic ? After sometime, he was at it again, and said that it is my problem and not his, and asked me if I had the telephone or the electricity bill on my daughter's name, it is here I lost my head and asked him straight if he was a Goan, and told him that in Goa we do not register our houses in our children name and asked if his house in his native villages was registered in his daughters name ? That ruffled him up and he asked me to go out of his office, I said why and if I had broken any laws ? I told him that I have my house in Nuem, in the village of Khola, in Canacona Taluka, showed him the tax receipts, showed him the telephone bill and the electricity bill and my election card and told him that I am a resident of Canacona and as I pay my taxes it is the duty of the local administration to present to me the documents that I require without any further delay and told him that I will not move out until I get my daughters residency certificate and warned him that if I was further harassed, this issue would be in the news papers the next day, told him that I knew a reporter very well who was waiting to expose government officials. That did the trick. He made a weak attempt to smile and told me that inspite of the lack of documents he was being generous in granting me the certificate and as I was delivering my ultimatum the BDO whom I knew very well (a gem of a person) walked in and as I walked out I told the BDO that all government servants should not forget that we pay their salaries and that they are here to help us and not to harass us, loud enough for the Mamlatdar to hear. Within five minutes I had the certificate in my hand. For the next few years I just had to show my face and give in my papers and everything would be done on an emergency basis without me speaking a word. Sometimes a faceoff can be advantageous ! I have not been to the Mamlatdar's office since the transfer of the problematic one; don't know what's in store for me on my next visit there. Freddy Agnelo Fernandes ##################################################################################### The content of this electronic communication is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and any others who are specifically authorized to receive it. It may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or otherwise placing reliance on the contents of this information is prohibited and may be unlawful in certain legal jurisdictions. If you have received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately by responding to this email and then delete it from your system. #####################################################################################