In a first, all sub-registrars in Delhi to be women

Delhi will now have only women sub-registrars involved in dealing with common people as Lt Governor V K Saxena directed Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to appoint them.

The move would mean that for the first time, all 22 Sub-Registrars (SRs) in Delhi government’s Revenue Department will be women officers.

In an official statement, the LG office said that it is expected that with women officers at the helm, the “prevalent corruption, red-tapism and harassment of people at such offices will be mitigated”.

The sub-registrar offices are at the cutting edge of government’s interface with the common citizens, it said.

After assuming office, Saxena, with an aim of empowering women in government services by placing them in positions of importance, had envisaged that the sub-registrar offices of the Delhi government’s Revenue Department be headed by women officials.

“This, he had underlined, would also ensure more sensitive, corruption-free and empathetic public dealing, as experience around the world had established,” the statement added.

The earlier statement had mentioned that the sub-registrar offices are responsible for marriage registrations, issuing of caste certificates, income certificates. But a revised statement said that the SR offices are responsible for land registry sale, purchase and lease, registration of properties, sale deeds, issuing share certificates, verification of documents and other services that have a direct bearing on the common people.

“It may be noted that of late, many cases of corruption had come to the fore recently, wherein the LG had suspended SRs and it is expected that with women officers at the helm, the prevalent corruption, red-tapism and harassment of people at such offices will be mitigated,” the statement said.

Through an earlier order, six women SRs had been appointed, in the latest order issued on Monday, another 16 women officials have been selected and appointed as SRs in the remaining 16 SR offices, thereby taking the total number to 22.

Earlier, the chief secretary, following Saxena’s directions, had also appointed a woman Officer on Special Duty (OSD) on October 8 for developing an ‘e-platform’ to ensure that all SR offices become faceless and the services be provided to the people through the online mode.

Reacting to the decision, Atul Goyal, president of United Residents Joint Action (URJA) — confederation of more than 2,500 RWAs in Delhi — said, “It is a welcome move that will help in empowerment of women. It will promote gender equality. It is a strategic move and will change the way the society sees women.”

(With PTI inputs)

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