Daijiworld Media Network - Margao

Margao, Oct 14: Members of the South Goa Advocates Association (SGAA) staged a protest at the South Goa Collectorate on Tuesday, alleging inordinate delays in processing land mutation and partition files by mamlatdars and accusing the district’s revenue administration of maladministration, inefficiency and alleged malpractices.

The advocates said the standard operating procedure (SOP) issued by the collector on December 24, 2024, was not being followed, causing harassment to the common man. They submitted a supplementary memorandum to South Goa Collector Egna Cleetus, highlighting the continued delays and seeking immediate corrective measures.

In the memorandum signed by SGAA president Clovis da Costa, the association stated that assurances given by the additional collector at a meeting following its earlier representation had failed to bring about any perceptible improvement. The assurances included holding monthly mutation camps, conducting an inquiry into a complaint against the then joint mamlatdar-IV, and ensuring strict compliance with the prescribed SOP.

The association alleged that files were frequently reported missing, applications were not processed in chronological order, and even online applications routed through the sub-registrar remained pending for months. It also raised concerns over allegations that certain agents were paying illegal gratification to secure preferential treatment in the processing of files.

The SGAA further objected to the joint mamlatdar-I recalling files that had already been certified by the previous mamlatdar and restarting the process, alleging that the practice was causing unnecessary delays and inconvenience to applicants.

The advocates demanded an independent, time-bound inquiry into the functioning of all mamlatdars, a transparent system to track files and accountability for officials who failed to comply with the prescribed procedures.

Collector Egna Cleetus assured the delegation that the issues raised would be addressed within a week. She said the existing SOPs would be implemented strictly and that an inquiry would be conducted into the complaints against a mamlatdar.

After meeting the collector, the advocates also confronted the inspector at the Survey and Land Records Department over delays in processing applications. They demanded that a standard operating procedure be introduced at the earliest to streamline the process and ensure timely disposal of applications.

The association said adherence to established procedures and accountability in the revenue administration were essential to prevent harassment and ensure that land-related applications were processed transparently and without undue delay.