WHY A VISIT TO OFFICE OF SUB-REGISTRAR IS DREADFUL

Amdavadis dread visiting the subregistrar’s office. Reason: slow systems, rude staff and multiple visits make registration of properties is a nightmare. At the Polytechnic sub-registrar’s office, the small space is packed with people forming long queues with hardly any place to sit. As the summer sun scorches, the lack of water coolers and functional fans add to the visitor’s suffering. Move to the Gota subregistrar’s building, which houses two offices for Bopal and Sola areas. With no parking space available, people have haphazardly parked their vehicles outside, some on the road itself. On an average, around 200 people visit the offices daily. And it’s rare that their work gets done in one visit. The erratic power supply ensures that people return to the office again to get their work done. If that is not enough, the citizens have to deal with ill-mannered officials at the counter, making the entire experience an ordeal.

An elderly couple had to park their car at some distance away from the Sola sub-registrar’s office. After walking in the sweltering sun, the office had nothing to offer other than broken chairs screwed to the wall.

At the one-room Polytechnic office, property registrations of areas like Ambawadi, Panjrapol, Gulbai Tekra, Memnagar etc are done. The cramped space and lack of facilities for the visitors coupled with the heat is enough to generate tension between visitors and officials.

The one-year-old building near Gota flyover that houses the sub-registrar offices of Bopal and Sola caters to Ambli, Bopal, Ghuma, Hebatpur, Shilaj, Thaltej, Ognaj, Khodia, Chenpur and Jagtpur areas apart from adjacent localities.

According to Ramotir Singh, a property broker, “I have been visiting Polytechnic office for the past three days with my clients. And there is every likelihood that I will have to visit the office again. Every day, the server fails or the computer slows down after 15 minutes.”

Meena Kavya, who owns a garment manufacturing unit and is a member of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry who had visited the sub-registrar’s office at Polytechnic said, “The conditions at the sub-registrar’s office are pathetic. I saw a girl faint due to the heat. With no proper seating arrangements, people have to stand under an umbrella outside the office. We pay huge amount of stamp duties and this is not what we expect from the office.”

It was the third visit for 68-yearold Ramani Patel who had come to sell her property. It was almost three hours past the time allotted to her, but her turn had not come, so she was spending time in the Polytechnic canteen. “We came here at 10.30 am as it was the time allotted to us. Now its 1 pm, but our turn has not yet come.

The office does not even have a washroom facility, nor proper drinking water. This is the third time I coming here for the same work.”

For Ghanshyam Makwana, 65, it has been a difficult time as there was no space to sit and he had to stand in the heat outside. “With one sub-registrar’s office covering so many areas, delay is inevitable. Also, frequent server issues affect work. Moreover, it is just not possible to get registrations done without a real estate agent accompanying you,” Makwana said.

The neem tree outside the Polytechnic office provides the only relief from the heat and humidity. With no drinking facility or washrooms, you better be equipped if you have to visit the sub-registrar’s office.

The situation is no different at Sola and Bopal sub-registrar’s offices in Gota. Ramila Desai, 55, said, “Government boasts of facilities and smart cities, but when we come here to pay taxes or even register property, we have to walk in the hot sun and the sub-registrar’s office has only broken chairs to offer.”

Tapan Agarwal, chief manager at agovernment bank, could not get his work done on first visit. “I wasted full day last week at Bopal sub-registrar’s office and I was asked to come today as the server was slow and the office had reached its closing time.”

Inspector of Registration Harshad Jani claimed they are looking into the issues. “We are trying to resolve public inconvenience and have built a new three-storey sub-registrar’s office at Polytechnic which will open soon this year. For people’s convenience, we allot time and date for registration or selling of properties. If they come before time at Sola or Bopal office then it’s not our fault,” said Jani.

Sola Sub-Registrar J C Patel said, “We cannot do anything about the parking as AMC handles it . We previously had power failure problems, which has been fixed now and we have high speed internet facility too.”