A drive along Race Course Road gives an impression that the Transport department (Regional Transport Office-Madurai Central) is partly functioning here. Though, it is not so. MV Inspectors from the RTO, auto dealers’ representatives and the public use the open space on the roadside here for verification of chassis numbers, engine numbers, et al., of new vehicles. Occasionally, even two-wheeler learners use the sprawling Race Course stretch to learn riding before showing their ‘skills’ in front of the licensing authorities.
Many may wonder as to why did the Transport department uses this public space. The reason privately shared by officials is that the RTO does not have adequate space on its rented campus.
Not just the Transport department. For a first time visitor, the Collector’s office would give bad memories. Apart from the main heritage building, which houses the chambers of the Collector and other senior officers, a few newly-built structures around the campus do not have restroom facilities for visitors. To some of the offices in the Collectorate, differently abled persons cannot visit at all as they do not have ramps. The staff at a Tahsildar’s office, behind the main building, do not have proper furniture and many of them have to lean on the wall and get things done. Though the State government inaugurated the integrated registration office near Othakadai, seating arrangement is very poor. On any auspicious day, when registration is done by many property owners, the experience is simply horrifying.
According to Lakshmanan of Anna Nagar, an advocate, who had been to the Registration department to obtain a document, the process was cumbersome. While, universally, documents downloaded online are acceptable, banks offering loans to its customers insist on hard copies only, he says.
The newly-built offices of the Commissioner of Police and Superintendent of Police on Alagarkoil Road are spacious and swanky, but not the police stations. A majority of the city stations are potential producers of dengue and other diseases as the seized vehicles and those involved in road accidents are parked around them and left abandoned.
On the contrary, many Central government offices not only have given importance to visiting public, but also have good ambience and designated staff/official asPublic Relations Officer.
Walking into the Employees Provident Fund office in the city, the public are greeted in a cordial manner, says Rajasekar, a HR Manager working for a textile unit. “The staff guide the public on how to reach an official or which lift to use to reach the officer on the multi-storeyed building,” he notes.
Many other offices, such as the BSNL, Passport Seva Kendra of the Regional Passport Office, and ESIC are well designed and structured.
As one steps into these offices, the ambience is good. “I go to pay my telephone bills at the Tamukkam office of the BSNL. The seating arrangement is good and the office sports the look of a private corporate entity. There is drinking water available too,” says S. Damodaran, a textile shop owner in Goripalayam.
Suresh Vishwar, LIC agent, West Masi Street, says the State government can emulate the Central government model of providing better ambience and facilities for the public.
Regional Passport Officer Arun T. Prasad says his office in Kochadai is an ISO certified office. It has a Citizen Service Manager. The standard operating procedure is well- defined. Apart from lift and ramp facilities for senior citizens and differently abled persons, the daily visitors are given tokens based on the number of slots available. “Proportionate to the seating capacity, the applicants are given appointments online” a staff told The Hindu and added that attendants were permitted only for minor applicants and differently abled persons.
The staff have been trained in such a way that any applicant armed with the right documents can walk out of the office in less than an hour. The question of waiting for long hours is ruled out here as public who can be catered to on a single day alone are given appointment slots, Mr. Arun Prasad says.
Collector S. Natarajan says new buildings are coming up in the Collectorate with more amenities for the public.
