Many offices lose documents in floods

Kochi: The documents in several government offices and financial institutions have been lost or damaged in areas devastated by the floods. Most documents in the Chennamangalam Services Cooperative Bank at Chennamangalam in Erankulam district are soiled as the building housing the branch was submerged in the floods.

A clear idea of how much of the soiled documents could be retrieved would be available only after a close scrutiny, said sources.

The fate of Chennamangalam panchayat office is also similar with the office inundated in floods. The officials in Cheranelloor panchayat on the outskirts of Ernakulam on Tuesday were found drying whatever records they could retrieve from the office. Tax records are the main concern of the panchayat officials.

The ledgers having the details of those who have paid the taxes and non-payees are damaged, said an official. “We cannot insist that people should produce the tax receipt as many have lost the same in the floods,” he added. The government may have to make a policy decision in the matter, he said.   

A few bank branches in flood-hit areas are also apprehensive of damage to property documents collected by them as collateral security. “We have kept the documents on top of the cupboard and we will have to examine the extent of damage to them”, said a bank official in one of the flood-hit branches in Palakkad. The government has stated that it would make special arrangements for issuing the documents to those who have lost them.