Srinagar, July 22: Commoners visiting the Civil Secretariat, highest seat of power, here to get their issues redressed have to cross lot of hurdles before meeting any dignitary. The last and the biggest impediment which most people find impossible to cross are the peons (chaprasis) deployed outside the office chambers of powerful people.
 To let any person inside the office chamber either of the minister or the bureaucrat is the discretion of a peon. If someone argues with him and pushes him to inform his boss the peon takes his slip or visiting card and keeps it with himself till he wishes. People in large numbers are seen waiting in the secretariat corridors and pleading before the peons to let them in. “Sahab is in the meeting. You will have to wait till it gets over,” this is the usual reply visitors get from peons. The unending meeting continues till visitors are forced to leave. Even if they wait endlessly the visiting hours get over by then and peons tell them to come next day.
 Ministers, who leave no stone unturned to claim that they are the representatives of people, usually seem to have no time for people. They have no fixed time to reach or leave the secretariat. They come and go as per their convenience. Peons outside the chambers of Mantris remain alert when their bosses are in. “Sahab has arrived just now. I can’t let you in. Let me see his mood first,” peons often tell the visitors, who reach there from city as well as the far flung areas.
 On the contrary if some influential person appears in the secretariat corridors no questions are asked, neither do peons bother to check mood of the Sahab. They let him in without any hassles.
 “When they come to seek votes they behave as if they are angels and are the most polite people on this earth. After they win and attain power they forget voters and have no time for them,” said a visitor, who was standing outside the office chamber of a powerful Minister.
 He claimed that he had visited the Secretariat on many occasions to meet the Minister. “Either I couldn’t find him in the office or the peon did not let me in. It seems you have to be a party worker to get the appointment,” the visitor added.
 Common people have to undergo three tier security check before entering into the Secretariat. “Despite getting frisked and checked visitors find it hard to meet the people whom they voted to power. Isn’t it unfortunate?” asked a visitor. “If they don’t want to meet the common people in Secretariat they should declare it out of bounds for common people,” he added.
 Visitors, who are unable to meet the minister or the bureaucrat whom they come to see, usually end up in the personal section of the concerned dignitary. Here they are asked to leave their application and are assured that the matter would be looked into.
 “Lot of people visit secretariat everyday and everyone wants to meet the minister or the top officer. Usually people at the helm remain busy and it’s not possible for them to spare time for everyone,” said one of the officers.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 22 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 22 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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