PANAJI: As many as 752 marriage documents are held up for final registration in the State due to lockdown announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to counter the spread of coronavirus. Of these 752 marriage documents, 531 are pending in the South Goa district while, 221 documents are awaiting final marriage registration in North Goa district even as those who registered their marriage documents in the second week of February have period of 90 till to register and solemnise their marriage. According to State Registrar-cum-Head of Notary Services Brijesh Manerkar, after the bride-groom and bride files declaration of marriage they have wait for registration of marriage as there is a statutory waiting period of 15 days including two Sundays for publication of the notice. If it is not done within 15 days then they still get 90 days to register their marriage and if it's not done then the couple will have to start the procedure again. The highest 159 applications of marriage registration are held up in Bardez taluka followed by 124 applications in Ponda taluka. The minimum 17 applications are pending in Canacona taluka. The State Registrar-cum-Head of Notary Services has now requested the government to allow couples, who could not register their marriage within 90 days due to nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 disease. In Goa, maximum marriages are registered and solemnised between April and May and in November every year. Due to lockdown most of the marriages which were planned in April and May this year have been rescheduled.
According to Manerkar, around 12,000 marriages are registered in the State every year as per statistics of the last three years. In 2016, a total of 11,630 marriages were registered in Goa, while in 2017, 11,426 marriages were registered. Similarly, 10, 698 marriages were registered in 2018 and 7624 marriages registered were upto October 2019.
Manerkar further informed that the government had already digitised the marriage documents from 1914 to 1970 and the person can access these documents online. Also online registration of marriages is under considertion.
Manerkar said that from Monday, April 27, all the taluka-level civil registrar-cum-sub registrar offices would function during normal working hours and only five applications of marriage registrations and five documents of land registration will be accepted by strictly maintaining social distancing and avoid crowding in the offices.. He said that NIC Goa has been asked to provide five appointment slots per day for registration of documents in NGDRS with a time gap of 30 minutes from April 27 till further orders. The civil registrar-cum-sub registrar offices at taluka level will take utmost care by providing hand sanitizers at all entry and exit points and common areas of the premises for public staff. Also mandatory thermal scanning of every one entering and exiting the work place will be done.