Jalandhar, June 25
While the state government has brought in a reform aimed at easing the procedure of marriage registration, the couples, who wish to get their marriages registered, feel that they are now rather getting more harassed.

The couples claim that the amendment has rather made the process of registration even more cumbersome. While earlier the Tehsildars used to register marriages at their own ends, the new process initiated about six months back stipulates that the couple first produces documents as required in the long checklist and gets the file processed. The duo then has to go with the parents and witnesses to the respective Tehsildar for their statements and final signature.

But the couples have been coming and arguing, “What is the fun of going to the Suvidha Centre of the district if we again have to take rounds to the Tehsildar? The new process rather involves more wastage of time and money.” Some have suggested, “The state government should have rather designated a Tehsildar, who is on a rotation-wise duty in the Suvidha Centre, to do the final attestation. That could have been the best respite.”

Tehsildars, when asked on their say on the matter, said such a change could again be a problem as the records had to be consigned with the respective Tehsildars only, that, too, in their respective tehsils. “There also are times when Naib-Tehsildars or Tehsildars from the periphery, including Shahkot, are on duty. Still, it seems feasible, but only if the records are sorted at the end of the day and dispatched to respective tehsils.”

Certain officers have also suggested that rather than at Suvidha Centre, a marriage counter with computer system connected to the main server be set up outside the offices of the Tehsildar-1 and 2, especially during days when more such applications pour in. The Tehsildars agree on this suggestion, but certain officials argue that Suvidha scheme actually implies having a single window system rather than double or triple windows.

The ADC, Sarojini Gautam Sharda, claimed that she could just send the feedback. “Any change at any step can only come with a notification from the government,” she added. Meanwhile, couples at the marriage counter claim that getting a certificate was too tedious a job. Inderjeet Singh and Lakhwinder Kaur, a couple from Adampur, claim that they have been running around for a marriage certificate for the past one month. “When they asked us to submit a marriage photograph, they objected to it saying that it was laminated and seemed to be specially designed. We were then asked to procure the complete marriage album,” they said.

“When we again came the next time, they told us to bring along the lambardar from my village as well as my in-law’s place, which again took a lot many days. Since my husband has been putting up in Italy, this time they are asking us to deposit more documents as proof of his residence,” complained the wife.

Jalandhar, June 25
People of the region raised a hue and cry over the steep rise in the prices of diesel, kerosene and LPG. With a hike of Rs 3 per litre in diesel prices, Rs 2 per litre in kerosene prices and Rs 50/cylinder in cooking gas prices, the budget of the already inflation-hit common man have taken a further beating. As of now, no respite seems in sight of city residents who vented their woes post the hike today.

Happy Sandhu, president, Transporters Association, Jalandhar, says, “Our competition is with the Railways. While railway prices remain unchanged at Rs 2,200 per tonne, we have been forced to hike ours to Rs 4,000 per tonne. We are virtually bleeding as many of our clients are shifting to the Railways.”

“While diesel prices have skyrocketed in the past few months, there hasn’t been much change in the freight charges,” he adds.

Anticipating hike in prices, he says, “Transportation prices have already been increased - like the pries between Suranasi and Ludhiana. While they were Rs 230 per tonne earlier, now they are Rs 250 per tonne. Hike in rates of other commodities will also follow in the coming days.”

Pushpinder Kumar, owner of a taxi service, says “Earlier petrol prices were hiked, now its diesel. Our clients expect the same rates when they hire a taxi, but our fuel bill has increased. Our drivers also ask for more salaries. Where do we pay from the ever shrinking profit margins?”

Sumanjit, a housewife, says, “Things were already bad for us. A further Rs 50 hike in cooking gas has wreaked havoc on our monthly budget. We are just planning to use the microwave more often. On top of it, there are also the diesel and kerosene hike to deal with.”

Ashish Ahuja, a fruit wholesaler, says, “We anticipate a hike in the commodities in general in the market. Transportation will get costlier for us. The government policies seem to cater to the farmers, not the urban folks.”