PANJIM: Law secretary Pramod Kamat has initiated an inquiry into allegations of corruption against the sub-registrar of Pernem taluka and sought an explanation from her. Kamat confirmed this, but said the matter has not yet been referred to the vigilance department. A law department source said that in the past, the department has several complaints of misconduct against the lady sub-registrar at Pernem.
The trigger for the inquiry is a written complaint by a Mumbai-based Goan against the sub-registrar. In a complaint to the chief secretary and the state registrar, a copy of which has been forwarded to the chief minister, J M D'Silva has alleged that the lady sub-registrar first refused to give him a date for registering his property documents, but did the job after he paid her a bribe.
D'Silva has urged the government to investigate the matter, warning that if he does not receive a favourable response then he will forward his complaint to social activist Anna Hazare and the media, and also file a writ petition in the high court.
The complainant has explained that he and his cousins had arrived at a settlement regarding their ancestral house in Tembwado, Morjim, and accordingly, his cousins agreed to sell the land occupied by him. For this, he was required to execute two sale deeds which had to be registered before the sub-registrar at Pernem.
D'Silva approached the sub-registrar on May 9, along with his wife, who is a lawyer. D'Silva has alleged that the sub-registrar said the documents could not be registered till June 15, as her "diary was full". She advised the couple come again in June. To the Mumbai couple's pleas, she expressed helplessness and advised them to see a local lawyer. Someone outside her cabin also suggested a particular lawyer's name.
When the D'Silva's approached the local lawyer, he told them that the sub-registrar was very corrupt and they would have to "shell out an exorbitant sum" to get their work done. The complaint states that after the local lawyer telephoned the sub-registrar, she registered the documents on May 12, "with the connivance of the local advocate after receiving substantial amount through him".
"This said female is also rude and arrogant with villagers. If this sub-registrar behaves with Mumbai advocates in this way, then I fail to understand what will be her conduct with the aam admi of Goa," D'Silva has also stated in his complaint.
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