The Bangalore Metro Reporter
PRICE OF PRIVATIZATION!
REGISTRATION STALLED FOR 3 DAYS.
Never in the history of 140 plus years of registration department, was the registration stopped even for a day. But, it has happened now. For full three days, the Sub Registrar offices could not register the documents due to the strike by the computer operators of the private companies. One can not blame the operators who were grossly underpaid while their companies have made hundreds of crores in the last nine years. The operators are also demanding regularisation of their services in the department. The stoppage of registration work should make the department hang its head in shame.
The registration in the State’s Sub Registrar offices was stopped for full three days, which is the only time in its 140 years old history. And this was due to the strike by the poorly paid operators of the private companies who were given computerization contract in the department.
The computerized registration was introduced in 2003 by the then IGR D. Satya Murthy who spent a fortune to develop the Kaveri software. However, instead of taking up this task through the department employees, Satya Murthy entrusted the implementation to two private companies, CMS and ECIL, by manipulating the tender.
Under the ‘Kaveri’ system, the documents are scanned; thumb impression and photo of the parties captured and data entries are made and printed in the document itself. Once the SR certifies the documents, the same is scanned and stored in CDs. The documents are delivered to the parties immediately.
The companies are paid on pet page basis in the document. Even though the department collects one percent as the service charge in the form of Registration fee, the registering public are required to pay the contractor’s service charges separately. Shockingly, while the cost of the work cannot be more than Rs. 3 to 4 per page, the companies earn Rs.30 per page. As per the contract, the companies are to establish the necessary infrastructure, provide the operators and run the contract for five years and then leave the infrastructure to the department.
Both these contractors made hundreds of crores in the first five years. As per the agreement, the companies and the Software providers had to train the department officials within three years. But even to this day, that is nine years after the contracts, the department officials are yet to be trained.
Whatsoever, the companies have appointed about 700 operators throughout the state and pay them a meager salary. Though the companies are obliged to pay minimum salary, it simply pays them salaries lower than the minimum wages. Initially, a majority of the operators were not experienced and there were blunders in registration process. Obviously, the companies are required to train the operators, but, since these companies have allegedly ‘booked’ the senior officials in the department, there are no asker and teller. The operators were paid 2 to 4 thousand per month as salary and were not even provided with basic facilities. They were hired and fired without logic or reason. It is the generosity of the Sub Registrars that sustained them. In major cities the operators are tipped Rs.50 to 100 per scanning of a document. But in offices where the ‘income’ is meager, the operators are put to hardship. It is another matter that few operators in Bangalore offices have made a fortune by doubling as cashier for the SR or agents. This is only an exception rather a rule.
Arguably, the department should have stipulated that the companies pay a decent salary to its operators as bad working conditions may affect the registration process. Further, the public were forced to spend extra money and time to rectify mistakes in their documents committed by the operators. When mistakes became the order of the day, the then IGR issued a circular levying a penalty of Rs.1000 per mistake to the operators! Had the same been levied on the companies, things would have been different. How could an operator who barely gets 2 to 3 thousand salary, afford to pay this penalty? If there are more than one mistake the operator would rather quit the job than paying the penalty.
Interestingly, the contract has expired in June 2008. The department had made attempts to train its employees to take up the computerization from July 2008. But the training was simply name sake and the companies managed to get extensions after extensions and are completing nine years soon. And they continued the practice of paying meager salary to its operators.
Finally, the operators thought it fit to strike the work demanding higher pay and their absorption in the department. On 16th, they struck work and the works in the SR offices came to a stand still. For three days the picture was same. And on 4th day, the operators called off their strike and the business in the SR offices resumed as normal. For full three days, the SR offices ceased to function. The stoppage of works in the SR offices for three days is unheard of in the 140 year old history of the department.
Arguably, the department could have threatened the companies to terminate their contract if their operators are not paid fair salary. But it remained silent. Shockingly, the IGR and the revenue Secretary too remained silent. The IGR on his part should have directed the SRs to start the manual registration to avoid difficulties to the public. But the IGR Chandrashekar did not approve it and eventually, the public were denied their basic right of registration. Heavens would not have fallen if the SRs did manual registration and kept the documents pending, till things became clear. After clearing manual registration, the IGR would have provided intensive training to the department officials for computer registration. This is not difficult as majority of the staff and officials have computer knowledge. Within a week, they would have been ready to take up the registration. But neither the IGR nor the Bhoomi Secretary Rajiv Chawla were prepared to take this simple step.
Eventually, the department and the public suffered for three days, for no fault. This is the price the department and the public had to pay for the folly of few officials who ‘privatised’ the computerization.
That is all.
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