ONE DAY @ MONEY MINTING OFFICE

Note: The post is long really long but its worth your timeJ

It is been long really long that I updated my blog. There were so many things that I wanted to write about Elections, IPL,my admission drama and so forth, but something or the other kept me from not writing it. Finally the incident or should I say the experience of visiting a place today made me pen down my thoughts. So here it goes…

It all started with this little conversation that I had with my father never knew I end up cursing myself for initiating it in the first place. Aaargh!!!

Me: Appa I am super jobless at home can I do any work for you?

Father: Sure, go to the Ambatur Taluka office and get an OBC community certificate, it will be necessary for your admissions.

Me: Done deal will go first thing in the morning tomorrow. {Little did I knew then that I had to spend the entire day on this}

The following day I took all the necessary documents and headed to the Ambatur Taluka office, like any other government office it was dirty, unpleasant and there was an air of smugness. Not to forget the beeline of brokers at the entrance.

I, as a lay person did not know the procedures for obtaining a community certificate, hence wanted to clarify my doubts. There was not even a sign of help desk in that office however there was a help kiosk but to my dismay I found a board that read “Under Maintenance”. After waiting for half an hour I approached a clerk to find out about the procedure and he screamed ,“find out for yourself!!!” . I was furious!!! First of all the office does not have a help /information desk and to top it all they do not answer a simple query from the people are these things not their duty??

I was aghast looking at my expression an old man came to my rescue. He told me what has to be done. The procedure goes like this first one needs to get the necessary form attach necessary documents, get it sealed from the clerk, go to the Revenue Officer and Village officer of their respective area, get it signed and submit it finally in the Taluka office for the Tashildar’s signature.

I went from Ambatur to Padi braving the scorching heat. Getting signature from these officers isn’t an easy task either. Brokers help you get one easily for a few hundreds. If you do not go through the broker the officers simply refuse to sign and give lame reasons citing fault in the documents. With no other choice I fell prey to it. I hated myself for doing it but I didn’t have choice. And once I paid the money I got the signature swiftly. It was disheartening to see old people wait endlessly behind the brokers. He charges anywhere around 100 to 500 depending upon the requirements. The broker made 3000 bucks in an hour’s time!!!100 bucks is not a big money these days but in some houses that are the monthly income and to part that hard earned money with the broker and take the abuses is indeed very sad.

I again rode back to the Tashildar’s office and waited to see him. There are agents here too for getting signature from the Tashildar but the price here is higher. While I was waiting for the Tashildar, I was observing the events that were happening around, scores of people some young mostly old were running from pillar to post without proper guidance. One weird thing caught my sight, weird?? No shocking reality I would put it across. An old man had a name written on slip of paper and approached the pune asking him to guide to that particular person. The Pune after guiding to the respective person demanded 100 bucks!!!! I was shocked, loss of words. In the interim I made friends with the other waiters lolJ and each of us sharing our woes and bitching about the system and the government. After an hours wait all of us learnt that the Tashildar is going out and we can not get the signature. Everyone was agitated and made our way to the entrance and blocked the way to his car. Catching him off guard we got our signatures much to the surprise of the brokers whom we refused in the first place.

After his signature was done I went searching again in the office to find a soul who could tell me what to do next. People guided me wrongly and I ended up waiting for a person for more than an hour only to be directed towards the next. Finally everything was completed and only the final signature had to be inked by the Tashildar. I was waiting and waiting, the clock struck 5:30 and slowly people started to leave. At 6:30 when I went and enquired about the status the concerned person said Tashildar left come tomorrow at 10:30!!! I was perturbed, irritated, hurt, frustrated all of them gushing at once with no choice left I made my way back home.

And this is my experience in visiting a GOVERNMENT OFFICE. Lot of things goes without notice. Corruption no longer is under the table activity it has elevated to across the table!!.The common man is not guided properly, each and every officer is involved in corruption in his own little way, and they exploit the people’s illiteracy in these matters. There are no chairs to be seated, which ends up killing your feet!! Imagine standing for straight 3 to 4 hours .The board outside the office clearly points out in bold letters that brokers should not be encouraged but you find them literally everywhere in the office. At least answering simple queries will help the common man but even that is not being done. The callousness of the authorities disappoints the public and makes them lose all their hopes.

Is anybody hearing?? Can anything be done at all?? India can never be developed if things continue at this rate. Only in the glossy paper it indicates growth. What’s the use of boasting about the achievements by the party in power when in ground zero things are berserk.

Next time around if anyone plans to visit a government office sorry “MONEY MINTING OFFICE” please be prepared to wait for long, take the abuses, be ready to bribe and most importantly PATIENCE