The Chhattisgarh Government in joint association with the Union Home Ministry has taken up the task of significantly improving the low rate of birth-death registration in the State.
A Birth certificate is the first legal right and identity proof of every child. Birth certificate is an important document required for issuance of driving license, voter id and passport etc. If claimed within 21 days of birth of a child, birth certificates are available for free. After 21 days also, birth certificates can be received at minimal fee from Municipal Council, Municipal Corporation, or Gram Panchayat concerned, officials here informed.
The State Statistics Department officials informed that under Birth-Death Registration Act 1969 and Chhattisgarh Birth-Death Registration Rule 2001, registration of birth-death registration is compulsory in Chhattisgarh and all other states of India.
The fee for searching the entry in birth-death register is Rs2 per year. The death certificate is an important document in the cases of property transfer, insurance claims, family pensions etc. The birth-death registration can also be used as proof under Indian Proof Act, 1872. Moreover, these are also very important for census and health related data.
Under Birth-Death Act 1969, there is a provision of charging penalty to the Registrar for not reporting registration. The present rate of birth-death registration in India is 82 per cent (as per year 2010).It is mandatory for head of the family/family member, Anganwadi worker or the Kotwar in case of household, for Village Head in case of a village, to report the incidence of birth or death to Panchayat Secretary or Deputy Registrar within 21 days.
In case, the birth or death has taken place in a hospital or any other institution, then District Registrar has to be reported about the same. In urban areas, officials of urban development bodies like municipal council, municipal corporation, and nagar panchayat act as Registrar.
In case the information is provided verbally, then it is compulsory for the Registrar to take signature/thumb impression of the informer on completely filled form-1,2 or 3 for birth report, death report or birth-death report respectively, as per the case. The Registrar is also responsible for ensuring the completion of entire procedure of making entry of the birth-death report, as per the rules.