KMC's steps to issue special birth, death certificates on same day end tout Raj

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation's (KMC) steps to issue special birth and death certificates on the same day to the applicants have put an end to the tout Raj.

Death certificates are given free of cost from the crematoria and burial grounds and parents have to apply to the borough offices to get birth certificates for their children within one year after their nativity. 

Special birth and death certificates are given if the parents do not apply to the KMC within one year after their birth of their kids or they need more copies of the birth certificate. Similarly, if people need more copies of the death certificates, they have to apply for special death certificates. A racket to help the applicants to get special birth and death certificates had been operating in the KMC for several decades. The people were harassed and to get additional copies of birth and death certificates, the touts charged anything between Rs 500 to Rs 1000 per copy depending on the urgency of the applicants.

After coming to power in 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked Mayor Sovan Chatterjee to ensure best service to the people.

The civic authorities have set up an air-conditioned room on the ground floor of the main building to issue special birth and death certificates. Subrata Banerjee, an employee of the KMC's Heath department has been entrusted to oversee distribution of forms to the applicants from the morning. 

The information they provide are then verified and then the certificates are issued on the same day. On an average, 100 special certificates are issued per day. There is an electronic token number display board for the benefit of the applicants. Atin Ghosh, member, Mayor-in-Council, Health said: "My prime duty was to put an end to the tout Raj.

Now, the system of issuing special birth and death certificates is absolutely transparent and people are not harassed. They get the certificates on the same day. As many of the applicants cannot climb stairs, a room has been set up for the purpose on the ground floor. Our moto is to give better service to the people," he maintained.