This is a scene outside the offices of Inspector General of Registration in Amar Niwas Complex popularly known as DC Office Srinagar.
On Monday I had a date with the Registrars office for a Sale Deed. I was called there at 10.30 AM. I rushed from my home in Nishat manoeuvring chaotic traffic and braving morning chill in order to be on time. Once there I had to first face with the challenge of parking my vehicle as DC office has no public parking facility. So one has to plead with shopkeepers to allow them to provide some parking space. It is noteworthy that the DC Office complex also houses offices of the Regional Directorate of Surveys and Land Records, Divisional Commissioner and Financial Commissioner Revenue.
After I was done with this pleading I made my way inside the fortified but crumbling autocratic era DC office complex.
To my utter dismay I saw scores of people, men and women, young and old waiting there before me who informed that there was no electricity and hence biometrics can’t be done. Upon inquiry I was told that the inverters had stopped working only after half an hour as there is a heavy load on them. Further enquiry revealed that supply line from the electric pole (See photo) had fallen and there was no one to fix it. A cleric made a half-hearted attempt to call line man who in turn said he was busy somewhere. After a long wait at around 11. 45 some people who had come to get their jobs done volunteered to climb up this dangerously dangling electric pole and fix the fallen live wire. To cheers of scores of onlookers who have been waiting in cold since morning the wire was finally connected and electricity temporarily restored.
All rushed inside to get their jobs done. After all wire was connected temporarily and could fall again. But once we rushed in we found rooms chocked as there is no waiting area not to talk of any seating arrangement.
By 1 PM moments before lunch break could have pushed us out again, job was done. I thanked my stars. —Azra
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