Files everywhere, nowhere to sit: Vijayapuram village office faces severe space crunch

Kottayam: While several village offices across Kottayam district have been modernized, the Vijayapuram Village Office continues to function from a cramped single-room building at Vadavathoor, leaving staff and visitors struggling for space.

The office, which serves all 16 wards of Vijayapuram Panchayat, accommodates between 10 and 30 employees. With files piled up throughout the limited space, even basic movement inside the office has become difficult. Visitors often have to wait outside due to the lack of adequate space.

The Vijayapuram Panchayat and local residents have called for the existing building to be demolished and replaced with a modern facility. They have demanded adequate seating, restrooms, clean drinking water, an e-filing system for staff, and a separate space where the public can fill out applications and complete other formalities.

The existing building, constructed in the 1980s, has also developed structural problems, including frequent water leaks.

“A report has been requested regarding the current condition of the Village Office building. We have also received two proposals from the Vijayapuram Panchayat. An appropriate decision will be made as soon as the departmental report is submitted,” said Cyril Sajiju George, Tahsildar.

Panchayat member Roy John Edathara said the building is showing its age and requires urgent attention. “The Village Office building in Vadavathoor was constructed around the 1980s. It is showing its age, with constant leaks. Since the land belongs to the Revenue Department, a departmental decision can be taken to construct a new building here,” he said.