In a major step to curb the menace of fraudulent birth and death certificates being used for illegal purposes, Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, on Friday, ordered the immediate cancellation of all suspicious certificates issued merely on the basis of an Aadhaar card and directed authorities to lodge police complaints without delay.
A comprehensive 16-point verification guideline has been issued by the revenue department to all tehsildars, sub-divisional officers, district collectors and divisional commissioners. The circular, issued following a high-level meeting chaired by the additional chief secretaries of home and revenue departments, clearly states that Aadhaar card cannot be accepted as a standalone proof of date of birth or place of birth, in line with Central government guidelines.
Key directives issued by Minister Bawankule:
• All birth/death registration orders issued by Nayab tehsildars after the amendment of 11 August 2023 to be withdrawn and cancelled forthwith.
• Certificates issued taking only Aadhaar card as proof to be treated as defective and cancelled.
• Discrepancy between the application details and Aadhaar date of birth will invite immediate FIR against the applicant.
• Beneficiaries who fail to surrender original bogus certificates or cannot be traced will be declared ‘absconding’, and FIRs registered against them.
• District collectors and divisional commissioners to conduct special verification camps under their direct supervision.
14 districts identified as ‘hotspots’ for such malpractices have been put under strict scrutiny. They are: Amravati, Akola, Sillod, Sambhajinagar (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) city, Latur, Anjangaon Surji, Achalpur, Pusad, Parbhani, Beed, Gevrai, Jalna, Ardhapur and Parli.
Speaking on the initiative, Bawankule said, “Forged birth and death certificates are being misused to grab government benefits, encroach on land and even threaten national security. We will not tolerate such rackets. Strict action will be taken against such beneficiaries.”
Senior BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya has been carrying out a campaign exposing fake birth and death certificate fraud across the state.
