Civic body to decentralise birth and death registration work

Long queues, one printer, slow server and a few operators with just three to four computers put immense load on the Kasba Peth ward office as it is the only place for obtaining birth and death documents. PMC deputy health officer Dr Dilip Jagtap said next year all the ward offices could take up the responsibility. “As of now, Kasba Peth office shoulders all the responsibility. After receiving a number of complaints, we are looking at decentralising this process as well,” said Jagtap. The ward office registers nearly 200-225 births and 100 deaths daily. On an average, yearly the office sees nearly 45,000 births registered and 22,000 deaths registered. After introduction of online recording system, the department has already got records updated from 1992 onwards.

Though the PMC has appointed private agencies for entering the data, the Kasba Peth office still suffers from workload. “Once other offices are ready, the work of entering data too will be given according to the area which would ease pressure off the Kasba Peth main office,” officials said.

The malfunctioning printer has been a headache for people. Medha Pethe, who was at the Kasba Peth office recently, said she had to wait for nearly an hour to get the copies of the registered documents. “Many a times the printer is not working and so one has to keep doing the rounds of the office,” she said. G Rao, who had come to collect the copy of birth certificate of his grandson at the Ghole Road office, said he was told the printer was not working.