O J’s Corner

End the system of visiting offices
for day-today affairs

Mankind has reached the Moon and it would not be too far away when someone would step foot on Mars. But so far we have not been able to call an end to visiting government offices and corridors of institutions and bodies for taking care of day-today affairs.

We should be able to totally eliminate personal presence in banks for our financial transactions. True the banks have set up thousands of ATMs in all corners. This has helped the customers a lot. A few years ago, a customer had to stand in long-winding queues in banks to get his cheque cashed. Mind you, he/she was being harassed like this for the unenviable task of putting his/her money in that particular bank!! You should have seen the fearsome face of the bank clerk who should make an entry in the book and get it endorsed by one officer. The Clerk would not take the book to the officer sitting pretty behind his/her counter. The peon should come, may be after one hour, to take the register to the officer. It would be good luck if the officer endorses the same. It would be another wait for the peon to reappear and pass the same to the cashier/teller. These officials were protected by trade unions, mostly the Communist variety which speak about socialism for all.

Shipping magnate Socrates Aristotle Onassis was reported to have become furious after he had to wait three minutes at a bank counter for a transaction. He bargained hard and purchased the bank for himself. An ordinary customer cannot be Onassis. Thank God, the banking system has metamorphosed a bit and started providing ATM counters.

We should be able to make payments using a mobile phone or internet facility. Then you don’t have to go to the Electricity office, telecom office, local bodies office like that.

Alvin Toffler had predicted that massive office structures would undergo demassification and much of the work would be done by staff at their own residences.