Poor facilities plague Cantonment registration office

Trichy: The decades-old registration office building inside the cantonment court complex in Trichy has become an eyesore, with visitors complaining about poor maintenance and a lack of basic facilities on the premises.People visiting the office have no space to sit, forcing many to wait outside for long hours to complete their documentation. On the outside, uncleared litter, piles of garbage and overgrown bushes make the surrounding unhygienic. When TOI visited the office, around 20 people were waiting outside the office. Visitors pointed out that despite the steady flow of people for registrations and related services, the infrastructure at the office has hardly been improved. "Many people, including senior citizens, are forced to stand or sit outside as there are no proper facilities inside the dilapidated office. Many people are made to fill out their documents outside. There is no proper lighting as well. Recently, when I was at the office, I suffered an insect bite due to the poor surroundings. It is unfortunate that the registration office in an important area like Cantonment does not even have basic amenities," said B Balaji, a retired govt employee.The office functions in a two-floor building, with registrations carried out on the first floor and the administrative office for the entire district located on the second floor. "It has been more than five years since we requested permission to shift to a new place, but it has not been granted yet. This building is around 108 years old," said Pandian, manager of the district registration office.