Karwar: Stressing the importance of timely civil registration, Additional Deputy Commissioner Sajid Mulla has directed all birth and death registrars in the district to ensure that every such event is mandatorily registered within 21 days, without any delay.
He was speaking while chairing the district-level Birth and Death Registration Coordination Committee meeting held at the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Thursday.
Mulla instructed that all births and deaths occurring within the jurisdiction of gram panchayats and urban local bodies must be recorded within the stipulated timeframe. To strengthen monitoring, he directed that taluk-level coordination committee meetings be conducted every month under the chairmanship of Tahsildars to review the registration process.
He further emphasized the need for continuous public awareness campaigns across the district using Swachh Vahini vehicles to educate citizens about the legal requirement of registering births and deaths within 21 days.
Highlighting procedural compliance, he said all registrars must stay updated on the latest guidelines and changes related to birth and death registration. Registrations beyond the prescribed period should only be carried out after obtaining court orders. Records prior to 2024 must be transferred to designated custodians for preservation.
Officials were also instructed to carefully verify dates while entering records and ensure that birth and death certificates are issued with mandatory digital signatures. Monthly inspections of registration units at the taluk level were also mandated to ensure systematic implementation.
Mulla called for the timely completion of ongoing digital documentation efforts aimed at preserving records permanently. He also directed authorities to organize training programmes for registrars, sub-registrars, custodians, private hospital medical officers, and data entry operators involved in the registration process.
District Statistical Officer Somashekar Mesta, speaking at the meeting, informed that between January and March this year, a total of 4,101 births and 2,969 deaths were registered in the district, with certificates being issued bearing digital signatures.
The meeting was attended by KIMS Dean Dr. Poornima, Urban Development Cell Project Director Zaheer Abbas, Deputy Director of the Women and Child Development Department Virupaksha Patil, along with Tahsildars and chief officers of urban local bodies who joined virtually.