Suspecting forgery, death and birth certs issued with a delay of over one year to be reverified

The government’s order on Tuesday stated that a special drive will be carried out ‘to weed out all the certificates obtained through fraudulent ways’

Mumbai: The state health department on Tuesday ordered the reverification of all birth and death certificates issued with a delay of over one year. Suspecting that illegal immigrants had acquired the certificates using forged documents, the order directs the concerned authorities to cancel all such fraudulent certificates and register criminal cases against the defaulting individuals.

Suspecting forgery, death and birth certs issued with a delay of over one year to be reverified

The order stated that a special drive will be carried out ‘to weed out all the certificates obtained through fraudulent ways.’

According to the procedure laid down in the Maharashtra Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 2000, if there is no registration of birth then the parents can approach the tehsildar or taluka magistrate or the officer designated by the collector. They will submit whatever proof they have and after verification, the concerned official will issue an order directing the registrar to make the birth registration based on which the local body will issue a birth certificate. The same is the process for death certificates.

Earlier this year, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya raised a complaint with the state government that illegal immigrants have been misusing the rule and illegally obtained birth and death certificates from the state government using forged documents submitted as proof of death/birth.

“Taking cognisance of the complaint, the state revenue department stayed the process of issuing birth and death certificates in cases where the birth or death took place more than a year ago on January 21,” said a government official, adding that the stay from the revenue department was withdrawn in March after the state health department intervened and issued fresh guidelines for issuing certificates in such cases.

On Tuesday, the health department announced the re-verification of certificates issued with a delay of over a year and scrap them in case of irregularities. “The registrars have been directed to submit the list of birth and death registrations done in the cases delayed by one year or more to the tehsildars. Tehsildar and taluka magistrate will verify all the certificates mentioned in the list and cancel them if found irregularities,” the order mentioned.

It has also directed the concerned officials to send notices to the defaulting individuals and allow them seven days’ time to return the certificate, after which if the certificate has not been returned, the authorities are entitled to seize the same with the help of local police.

The order also directs that criminal cases be registered against those who had used fake or forged documents to acquire birth or death certificates.

“If the registration was made without the order from the tehsildar or taluka magistrate then the birth and death registrations shall be cancelled by the concerned authority and commence a departmental inquiry against the registrar or the concerned official,” said a senior health official.