Maharashtra government orders cancellation of birth/death certificates not matching SOP

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has ordered an immediate review and cancellation of all wrongly-issued, delayed birth and death certificates across the state that do not meet the prescribed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

The Government Resolution (GR) issued on Monday also instructed officials to stop treating the Aadhaar card as sufficient proof for recording or altering birth details.

Fourteen districts, including Amravati, Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Latur, Akola, Parbhani, Beed and Nashik, have been flagged for a high number of irregularly delayed certificates.

The government has directed revenue, health, and municipal bodies to retrieve wrongly-issued certificates and verify them again. Certificates that do not meet legal criteria must be cancelled on priority, and the entries must be removed from the Civil Registration System portal.

Notably, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had raised several complaints against illegal Bangladeshi nationals securing delayed birth certificates and settling in Maharashtra. The GR has been issued at a time when the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is currently underway in nine states and three Union Territories (UTs).

The exercise is expected to start next February in Maharashtra. The GR issued by the Revenue and Forest Department stated that several delayed certificates were allegedly issued without supporting records such as hospital documents, school admission forms or original birth entries. It emphasised that the Aadhaar card cannot be accepted as proof for birth-related information.

Following the August 11, 2023, amendment to the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, only tehsildars, sub-divisional officers and district collectors are authorised to issue delayed certificates.

The GR states that certificates issued after the amendment without proper verification must be withdrawn and rechecked by competent authorities. If the Aadhaar-linked date of birth and the date declared in the application are different, officials must immediately lodge complaints with the police. Cases involving suspected forgery or manipulation will require filing an FIR, according to the GR.

Local officers in 14 districts flagged for a high number of irregular, delayed certificates have been asked to carry out reconciliation drives and collect original certificates from applicants.

The GR also notes that some certificates were issued even though the tehsildars had not authorised delayed registration. Municipal corporations and councils have been instructed to coordinate with tehsildars to verify such cases and take necessary action. If a beneficiary does not surrender a cancelled certificate, officials have been directed to seek help from the police. In cases where applicants cannot be traced or are believed to have absconded, a list must be prepared and legal action initiated.

District collectors have been asked to convene one-day review meetings with revenue officials, local bodies and police to ensure coordinated implementation. They must also submit progress reports to the state government in a prescribed format, the government order said.