A view of the Sub-Registrar Office sans podium and red carpet, at the SRO at Nallapadu in Guntur district on Sunday. Putting an end to the “feudal and outdated” set-up at the Sub-Registrar Offices (SROs) in Andhra Pradesh, the government has instructed all the Sub-Registrars to be seated on a par with others at the floor level and not at an elevated position.Based on the instructions of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the government has scrapped the existing system with a view to making the SROs look like any other government office.“I issued a circular memo on Saturday, instructing all the Sub-Registrars to modify the seating arrangements at their offices with immediate effect. The decision has been taken after conducting surprise visits along with Revenue Minister A. Satya Prasad,” R.P. Sisodia, Special Chief Secretary (Revenue), told The Hindu on September 15 (Sunday). “The system of using a podium covered with a red cloth and a partition around the Sub-Registrar is dispensed with immediate effect. The chair of the sub-registrar should be placed at the floor height and not at an elevated level. No blockage, or partition other than the office table should exist between the Sub-Registrar and the visitors. Sufficient seating shall be provided to the public who visit the SRO,” Mr. Sisodia said.“The Sub-Registrars should treat the visiting public with due respect and courtesy. They should be asked to sit. If they have to wait for a long time, drinking water and, if possible, tea or coffee should be provided to them,” the memo said.“Though the registering officers are discharging executive functions under Sections 34 and 41 of the Registration Act, the Sub-Registrars sitting on an elevated podium covered with red cloth and a partition around them indicates a negative connotation of inaccessible and citizen unfriendly governance,” Mr. Sisodia observed.People were prime stakeholders of the department and it was necessary to extend courteous services in all the SROs through a hassle-free and easy service delivery system in a conducive atmosphere, Mr. Sisodia added.He further said that the conventional system of using a podium covered with red cloth and wooden railing, or partition around the table of the registration officer was in vogue for long and the parties who visit these offices had to stand before them during the entire process.“Such feudal and outdated office set-up gives a very disturbing picture, and the visiting people feel intimidated and, at times, insulted by such an arrangement,” he added.“This is a more piquant situation if we consider the fact that most of these people visit the SROs for registering their documents from which revenue is generated to the government,” Mr. Sisodia observed.“Actually, these citizens deserve full respect and courtesy as they are contributing to the State’s resources, and hence they should be treated as valuable clients,” he said. Published – September 15, 2024 09:08 pm IST