Noida villagers not getting birth, death certificates

Villagers of Gautam Budh Nagar district are running from pillar to post to get birth and death certificates as panchayats here have ceased to exist in nearly 200 villages which have now come under the authority notified areas.

Registrar of Births and Deaths has said earlier "we used to issue certificates after getting details verified by village Pradhans (heads)".

Since village Pradhans now cease to exist in authority notified areas, the issuance of such certificates hit technical hurdle, he said.

District Magistrate has written to the state government to find a solution to the problem.

"We had gone to village Pradhan for verification of death of my father but he said that now, there is no village Pradhan in Noida notified areas. We went to village secretary who said he has been transferred to other department as village secretary post cease to exist. We then went to registrar births and deaths but officers expressed inability and told us to wait till matter is resolved," Deep Chand Yadav of Rasulpur Nevada village said.

Dr JP Srivastava, Registrar Births And Deaths and City Health Officer said, "Like Yadav, several cases from villages are being received which we have to send back as there is no clear direction in such cases. All 192 villages are affected. The District Magistrate has sent a letter to the state government, seeking directions and formation of alternative arrangements by authorising some officials till village Pradhan election issue was settled".

In rural areas of Gautam Buddha Nagar, estimated yearly births are around 20,188 and deaths 5,758. Monthly, there are estimated 1,682 births and 480 deaths.

In June, in rural areas there were just 31 institutional births and 850 domiciliary births.

"For institutional births and death cases, we are issuing the birth and death certificates as per hospital reports submitted to us. But in rural area, majority of births and deaths occur at home, leading to problems," Srivastava added.