Maharashtra amends birth, death registration laws

The Maharashtra government has introduced strict rules for birth and death registrations in response to growing concerns over illegal immigration. State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has announced amendments to the Birth and Death Registration Act, aiming to prevent the misuse of fake birth certificates by non-citizens to access government welfare schemes. The Revenue Minister  on Wednesday made a statement in both houses of the legislature, stating that the procedure for delayed birth and death registration has been fixed and announced that new changes will be implemented in the state starting today, as per the government decision issued by the Public Health Department.
Under the new rules, anyone applying for birth or death certificates without valid proof will face criminal charges, ensuring that only eligible Indian citizens receive these crucial documents. To further strengthen the verification process, the government has made police verification mandatory for issuing birth and death certificates. According to Maharashtra Revenue Minister and BJP MLA Chandrashekhar Bawankule, foreign nationals are taking undue advantage of loopholes in the government system to obtain birth and death registration certificates. He said that earlier there were no guidelines for the delay in registration of birth and death certificates in the state. "Foreign nationals by bribing the local officials and misusing the loopholes of the system, used to obtain the birth and death certificates to establish themselves as citizens of Maharashtra and India. However, as per new guidelines, one has to register for birth and death certificates within a year," the minister said.
"If the documents (evidence) attached by the applicant are found to be fake, immediate criminal action will be initiated. Besides, for the death registration, the post mortem report, copy of the FIR or any evidence given by competent authority should be submitted while for the birth certificate, the certificate issued by nursing home, if delivery took place at home, the woman who helped for delivery, her affidavit should be submitted to obtain the birth certificate," the minister stated. The birth and death registrations will now be treated as quasi-judicial matters as it will need rigorous scrutiny,the minister said.
Hospital certificates, health records, vaccination certificates, parent and blood relatives' domicile certificates, birth certificates, school leaving certificate, tax receipts, Aadhaar cards, PAN Card or any other official identification card, and genealogy certificates are also crucial for issuing birth and death certificates where the application has been received after a year of occurrence.The reasons for the delay in applying also need to be verified, the Government Resolution said.