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.

The Hindu                        04.04.2013

Special drive for registration of cycle-rickshaws in Delhi

After years of harassment from the police and municipal authorities, there is finally some good news for the rickshaw pullers and owners. In compliance with the directions of the Delhi High Court, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) on Wednesday announced a special drive for registration of cycle-rickshaws and rickshaw pullers through their Citizen Service Bureaus (CSB). Likewise, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation initiated the drive on March 25.

The High Court has been hearing a petition by non-government organisation Manushi Sangathan urging it to allow cycle-rickshaws to ply in the city as it was a means of livelihood for thousands of poor people.

Contrary to the earlier practice, in the new municipal policy on rickshaws, drafted after the Court’s intervention, there is no limit on the number of rickshaws that can be registered. All the applications complete in all respect would be accepted and the rickshaws would be registered. The municipal authorities have also categorically stated that there would no longer be any instances of impounding, seizing, destroying and scrapping of cycle-rickshaw, as such practices have been completely discontinued.

According to municipal officials, the process of registration has been simplified and residence proof or proof of purchase of cycle-rickshaw would not be asked from the applicant. The CSBs have also been equipped with biometric machines, to take index finger impressions, and cameras for taking the photographs of the applicants for registration.

But the registration fee fixed by the municipal authorities is much higher than the rates under the last municipal policy when Rs.50 was charged per annum for registration and Rs.25 per annum for the licence.The rates are also higher than those proposed by the petitioner in this case; a registration fee of Rs.400 (for five years), parking charge of Rs.100 (one time) and a licence fee of Rs.100 (for three years).

The civic bodies have now fixed the charges at the time of registration at Rs.400 for 5 years and licence fees for rickshaw pullers has been kept at Rs.150 for 3 years.

The applicant would have also to pay a one time parking fee of Rs. 300 at the time of registration.

The application forms for registration have been made available free of cost at the CSB counters.

They can also be downloaded from the website of the corporations at www.mcdonline.gov.in

In December 2011, the Delhi High Court had directed the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi to frame a policy on registration and licensing of cycle-rickshaws after ascertaining their exact number, areas where they ply and other relevant factors.

Four years prior to the Court orders, the MCD had capped the number of licences issued to rickshaws at 52,000 but after the Court’s intervention, the civic body had a rethink on the limit.

Madhu Purnima Kishwar of Manushi Sangathan welcomed the development saying that it would curb the process of corruption, harassment of marginalised rickshaw pullers and facilitate easy entry of unemployed youth into a source of earning.