Birth certificates issued in West Bengal between January 2021 and December 2025 during the Trinamool Congress (TMC) rule will now come under scrutiny, following directions from Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal. The state government has ordered verification of certificates issued both online and offline during the five years.
The move comes after authorities reportedly found evidence of irregularities in the issuance of birth and death certificates, including suspected fraudulent certificates that surfaced during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
ALSO READ: Delhi: Bengal STF Arrests Youth For Alleged Pakistani ISI Links; Threat To Chicken’s Neck Suspected
BDOs, SDMs To Verify Birth Certificates
In rural areas, the Block Development Officer (BDO) will be responsible for verifying the certificates, while the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) will oversee the process in urban areas. Where required, the two officers can jointly constitute an investigation team.
Delayed birth registrations will receive special attention during the verification process.
The investigation will examine the documents submitted when each certificate was issued and determine whether all prescribed procedures and rules were followed. Details of the documents checked and the findings of the verification will be uploaded to the Birth and Death Information Portal.
Each Certificate To Be Classified As Genuine, Fraudulent Or Erroneous
Officials have been instructed to prepare a detailed report on every birth certificate examined. The report must establish whether the certificate is genuine, fraudulent or erroneous.
The probe will also determine whether the official who issued the certificate was legally authorised to do so. If a certificate is found to be fraudulent or issued illegally, the reasons behind its issuance will also have to be recorded.
ALSO READ: Kolkata Hotel Fire: CM Forms SIT To Probe Tragedy That Killed 9, Blames 'Legacy Of Negligence'
The state government has directed officials to complete the entire verification exercise by September.
Investigation Teams To Have Senior Officers
The government has also specified that no officer below the rank of Deputy Magistrate or Deputy Collector will be included in the investigation teams.
The move comes amid the state's broader scrutiny of birth and death registration procedures. The government had earlier announced that municipal chairpersons and panchayat heads would no longer be allowed to independently issue birth or death certificates. The authority to issue such certificates will remain with designated government officials.