How many of us would ever lose a COC? Well I would like to think no one. But life can sometimes play cruel jokes. Like it did with me. On returning from Madras after applying for US Visa and appearing for the ICS TC paper, I opened my certificate folder and found no COC. Where could it go? No where. After all it couldn’t go on its own. I set everyone at home on it. No one could find it. I went to the photocopy shop where I did take some copies. I never photocopied the COC . Still why take a chance. He did not have it either.
I look up the internet. Not much help there. I call up the office. And they could not help either. After all this must have been the first time some loser lost his COC. But I am not a loser. A loser is someone who never tries. If you try and you lose, you are not a loser.
Office gave me sage advice. They asked me to search at places I already did. They asked me to go to the Photocopy shop where I may have placed it. Well I did all that again. Same result.
But after so many mails I still don’t have the procedure. I called up MMD. Oh ! How they love to trouble you. They would almost never pick up the phone and the one occasion they did, they just picked it off the hook and let it be there. They have an email contact on their site. I mailed them too. Well I don’t think any one ever checks.
Nothing worked. I did not know what to do. But this being a certificate issued by the government or atleast on behalf of it everyone at home agreed that I needed to file a police complaint. I did not expect that to be easy. Two trips and explanations to the SI and everyone under him on what was it that I lost, I got it. All in all about 3hours gone. Still I would rate that as easy. They gave me a receipt for my complaint. One for a Non cognizable offence.
Then I had to go the MMD. In person. To see if phones were working. To be fair to them it was examination time and probably that is why the phone was off the hook.
At the counter the lady was helpful . She searched and gave me a list of what all I needed.
Well you need 2 sets of all the documents required for the COC attested by the company. Then an affidavit. And a notice in two dailies. They did not mention if it had to be a local paper of a Bombay paper. And so I got four done. 2 in Bombay and 2 in Kerala. If you are doing it in Bombay go for Free Press Journal and Hindustan times. You can have a lavish party with the money you will save had you used the Times of India.
But it was the affidavit bit that was giving me the jitters. I called up office yet again. Blank. I called up my mamman. He is in the Merchant Navy. Go to the court opposite the Azad Maidan near VT. Killa Court. And there I was. In front of the Killa court. I don’t know if I will be pulled up for saying what I am about to, but there were men in black coats selling their wares. Very much like another class of workers do. What did I want? And affidavit for a lost certificate. Do I have a police complaint. Yes I do. 300rupees. Ok. 5 minutes later I had an affidavit in hand. Complete with a notary’s signature.
Efficient? Super Efficient.
And the MMD needs a letter by the candidate. Who do you address it to?
Not mentioned. So I addressed one letter to the DGS and another to the Principal officer. I gave the letter to the PO at the counter. And the lady there was happy. And so I think it is not he DGS who should be addressed in the letter.
It took me two days to get the notice in the papers. My dad sent me the notices he put up in the local Mathrubhumi and Express in Calicut by courier. I called up an agent who handled these things and asked him to give me a quote. FPJ and HT were around a 1800/-. Mid day and Mirror around 2.5k. I’d rather not say what was quoted for the mainstream papers. Like I said earlier you could have a lavish party with the savings.
I then went to the MMD and was standing in line when I got a call on my mobile. The office. They don’t take applications on Friday. Sure?
Sure. Oh! I am almost at the counter. Another 3 people and I am at the window. So let me try. And the lady at the counter took it. The same friendly lady who told me what to do.
16th june 2009.That is when I will get my COC.
( written in May 2009)
