Revenue from birth certificate shots up after NRC scare

Despite the repeated assurance from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee the panic over NRC in Kolkata seems to be increasing.

According to sources in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), since September the daily revenue generated from issuing birth and death certificates has increased threefold. They also said that the spike in revenue generation from issuing certificates took place ever in the wake of large scale panic over NRC in Kolkata and West Bengal.

“While in August the average daily revenue from issuing birth and death certificates was about Rs 10,000, it has shot up to Rs 30,000 since October,” said a senior KMC official.

He also said that some days the daily revenue from issuing birth and death certificates went up to Rs 40,000.

KMC sources further revealed that while earlier people used to collect one or two birth certificates for their family members now they are collecting 10 to 15 birth certificates.

They also said that the majority of the applicants for birth certificates are middle-aged and senior citizens.

As for the reason behind such large scale panic over the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government blamed BJP for instilling fear among people with their misleading remarks.

Urban Development Minister and Mayor of Kolkata Firhad Hakim said that people are getting confused by BJP’s “false remarks.”

“But as long as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is here no one will have to leave the state,” said Hakim.

KMC sources further revealed that while earlier a total of 200 birth and death certificates were issued per day now the number has gone up to 300 birth certificates and 150 death certificates.

According to Health Department rules if one is born at a hospital in Kolkata then till five year of his or her birth the birth certificate can be collected free of cost from the related borough office. After that, the birth certificate has to be collected from KMC on payment of RS 100 per copy.

The situation has become as such that the KMC authorities at one point instructed officials of not issuing more than 100 application forms per day. But later had to remove restriction due to high demand.