The Indian Express 04.04.2013
Pune civic body to add colour to birth, death certificates
To check issuance of bogus birth and death certificates, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to change the color scheme of the certificates issued by it.
Instead of the plain white paper format, it will now issue birth certificates in pink and yellow and death certificates in blue and yellow format.
Incidentally, PMC's decision was triggered by recent reports of a bogus birth certificate being issued to MNS corporator Priya Gadade. An inquiry, based on the complaint filed by her electoral opponent, proved that irregularities had indeed taken place. PMC records revealed that the registration number issued to Gadade was that of some other person, and that she, with the help of the civic staff, got herself a fabricated certificate issued, which she submitted to the election office.
The PMC had to file a police complaint against the civic staff for issuing a bogus birth certificate to Gadade and a small cause court disqualified Gadade as a corporator, while urging the civic administration to start fresh election process for the electoral ward from where she was declared elected. Gadade has been banned for contesting election for the next seven years.
The PMC health department has the responsibility of issuing these certificates to citizens. The main office is situated near Kumbharwada. The civic body has now decentralised the process at ward offices after complaints of massive delay in issuing these certificates.
Elected representatives had, for quite some time now, been raising the issue of inefficiency of the civic staff in this regard. Incidentally, complaints of corruption topped the list. This was proved when Gadade, an elected representative, was found to have been issued a bogus birth certificate meant to be submitted to the election office.
"The civic administration has decided to make some changes in the system of issuing birth and death certificates. To check such bogus certificates from being issued, it was decided to issue certificates in this new colour format that has a mix of two shades," said Ramesh Chavan, PMC medical officer and in-charge of the department.
Accordingly, the birth certificates would be of pink and yellow colour shade, while the death certificates would be issued in blue and yellow colour format. "It would be difficult for anyone to duplicate the certificates due to the colour print," he said, adding that the paper with mixed colour schemes would be made available exclusively for PMC for the certificates.
"The PMC stores department would make the paper available. It will be issued to the various ward offices, issuing certificates, and it would be mandatory for the civic staff to keep record of the use of this paper," Chavan said.
This initiative would obviously increase PMC's expenses in issuing certificates, but this will not reflect on the citizens, he said, adding that the first certificate would be available for Rs 20, while each additional copy would cost Rs 10 each.
