Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) commissioner Smita Pandey on Monday directed health department officials to increase the number of counters issuing birth and death certificates after a surprise visit to the department, where she witnessed the problems faced by citizens.
The pressure on the system has increased, with more than 30,000 birth and death certificate applications pending with KMC. Following complaints of mass distribution and irregularities during the Special Intensive Revision electoral roll exercise, Kolkata Police and state health authorities launched probes and raids, including at Borough 1, into alleged fake or non-genuine physical and digitised birth certificates. The delays come amid investigations into alleged irregularities in the issuance of birth certificates.
Officials said a policy change that concentrated approval powers in the hands of a single designated municipal officer, instead of decentralised borough-level offices, has also slowed clearances.
The backlog of birth certificate applications has been rising because of repeated glitches in the state-run birth and death registration portal and the slow functioning of the KMC chatbot service, according to a source. Citizens are required to apply through the chatbot to obtain digital copies of birth certificates, often needed urgently for school admissions or passport renewals.