Pay Rs 10,000; rectify complainant's name in records: Consumer panel to Golugond Tahsildar

Visakhapatnam: Consumer disputes redressal commission-II in Visakhapatnam has directed Tahsildar (Mandal Revenue Officer), Golugond, to pay Rs 10,000 as compensation and Rs 5,000 as legal expenses to a woman for not changing her name in the Records of Rights. Petitioner Ganivada Bhavani, a housewife of Pakalapadu village said her father Medisetty Narayana Murthy left a property (dry and wetlands) of an extent of 12.76 acres at Pakalapadu village.

The property was registered in Murthy's name in the revenue records. Bhavani and her younger sister Nookaratnam are the legal heirs of the property and it was shared equally (6.36 acres to each). The Revenue department issued Pattadar Passbook and title deed to Medisetty Bhavani.

Medisetty Bhavani married to Ganivada Satya Prasad Rao. Later she changed her surname. She had filed an application with the Tahsildar officer, Golugonda on March 2, 2020, for rectification of her name as Ganivada Bhavani on entries in Records of Rights with relevant documents. But the Revenue officials didn't process it. Again, on September 19, 2020, she applied for a change of her name in the records through Mee-Seva. She also paid Rs 315 along with documents as proof of her name and husband's name.

To her shock, the Revenue officials rejected the application citing that proofs were not submitted. Subsequently she on December 1, 2020, again applied for AP online for rectification of entries in the Records of Rights. She paid Rs 270 and submitted relevant documents as proof. But officials again rejected the application citing that they didn't receive the proof. The woman had even complained about the issue to the District Collector during the Spandana, but the officials didn't process her application. Finally, she filed a petition in the consumer commission.

President of the commission G Venkateswari said there is negligence on part of officials. Time-bound services are expected from the officers. People of the state have elected their government and they believe they will work for their betterment and development. He said this expectation indeed is not an illusion. Moreover, when the people of the state pay consideration for certain services which are not sovereign, it is the bounden duty of the body of the government to fulfill it, he said.

The delay in delivery of such services and silence on part of the government is not expected. In many such cases, the officials don't even note their presence before the adjudicating bodies which reflect negligence on part of the government, the commission observed. The commission directed the Tahsildar to rectify the name of the complainant as Ganivada Bhavani in the pattadar passbook, title deed, and 1B register and directed to pay Rs10,000 to the complainant for mental agony and Rs5,000 for legal costs.