4 hours Ago By Mid-day
Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has announced stricter regulations for acquiring birth and death certificates, particularly targeting foreign nationals residing illegally in the state. Speaking in the legislative assembly on Wednesday, Bawankule stated that producing fake documents to apply for these certificates will now result in the registration of criminal cases, according to PTI.The decision comes in the wake of allegations that several Bangladeshi nationals had submitted forged documents to obtain birth certificates.
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya recently claimed that 3,997 birth certificates had been issued to Bangladeshi nationals using falsified documents, leading to the suspension of two officials in Malegaon, Nashik district, PTI reports.“Birth and death certificates are critical documents, but they are also prone to misuse. To curb this malpractice, the norms have been tightened.
Anyone found misusing the system or producing false documents will face a criminal case,” Bawankule said, as per PTI.A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the issuance of fake birth and death certificates, according to PTI. The government has also issued a resolution (GR) through the Public Health Department, detailing the new verification process for requests related to birth and death certificates that are more than a year old.
Under the revised norms, such requests will now require verification by the registrar, the district magistrate, the sub-divisional district magistrate, the executive magistrate, or officials authorised by the district magistrate, PTI reports. The certificate will only be issued after the applicant pays the late fee and the verification process is completed.The GR specifies that complaints have been received regarding foreign nationals applying for birth and death certificates long after the event, PTI reports.
In such cases, additional proof such as postmortem reports, FIRs, statements from aanganwadi workers or relevant officials, and hospital registration details must be verified before issuing the certificate.Furthermore, documents such as hospital certificates, health records, vaccination certificates, domicile certificates of parents or blood relatives, school leaving certificates, tax receipts, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and genealogy certificates will also be considered essential for processing delayed applications, according to PTI.The reasons for the delay in applying for the certificate must also be assessed, as per the GR.
Officials are now required to obtain a police report to verify the applicant’s address. Additionally, a report from the talathi or gram sevak will also be required after thorough verification.“There will be a three-step verification process.
If the applicant is found to have submitted fake documents, a criminal case will be registered against them,” the GR states, as per PTI.The tightening of norms reflects the state government`s effort to prevent misuse of official documents and ensure that birth and death certificates are issued only after proper verification. The SIT’s investigation is expected to uncover further details about the alleged malpractice involving forged documents.
(With inputs from PTI).
