Vengola village office in Ernakulam district is facing disruption because of staff shortages, with delays reportedly affecting caste certificates, government benefits and land mutation applications for residents across the panchayat. The issue was highlighted in a petition submitted to the Chief Minister by panchayat member Basil Kuriakose, according to a report by Mathrubhumi.
Vengola has 24 wards, and most of them fall within the jurisdiction of the Vengola village office. The vacant post of Special Village Officer has left files pending and reduced the office’s capacity to process routine public services, the report said.
The delays are particularly affecting applicants from Scheduled Caste communities seeking caste certificates. Students and other residents who depend on government financial assistance may lose access to benefits when the certificates are not issued on time, according to the complaint cited in the report.
Residents are also reportedly facing difficulties in completing land mutation, the process through which changes in land ownership are recorded in official records. Delays in the service can hold up related administrative and property transactions, although the report did not specify the number of pending applications or the average waiting period.
The village office is used by hundreds of members of the public, but its building is reported to lack adequate facilities. The office is functioning in a confined space, while its surrounding premises are also not being properly maintained. These conditions add a physical constraint to an office already dealing with a shortage of personnel.
The report also referred to an incident about a week earlier in which a liquor bottle was seized from an employee. The account did not provide further details about the circumstances of the incident or indicate whether any departmental action had followed. The matter was included among the concerns raised about the functioning of the office.
Kuriakose has asked the Chief Minister to arrange staff immediately and improve the facilities at the village office. The petition’s submission is the latest recorded step in seeking administrative intervention; the report did not state whether the government had issued a response or set a timeline for filling the vacant post.
