The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has temporarily suspended its chatbot service for birth certificate applications following a state health department investigation into documents submitted during the Special Identity Registration (SIR) exercise. Civic officials are working overtime to scrutinize all supporting documents provided by applicants.
Focus on Delayed Registration Certificates
According to a KMC health department official, the investigation is primarily targeting certificates obtained through 'delayed registration' claims. 'The focus so far is on certificates obtained by submitting documents citing the applicants were born at home. Certificates issued based on such documents might have gone to wrong hands,' the official said.
Background of the SIR Exercise
In November last year, the KMC health department increased the daily quota of birth and death certificate applications through the chatbot (8335999111) to help citizens prove their voting rights during SIR hearings. Mayor Firhad Hakim had directed the Chief Municipal Health Officer, Ranita Sengupta, to ensure at least 500 applications were processed daily. 'At this crucial hour of proving one's citizenship, the rush to get a genuine birth or death certificate is inevitable. We should stand by citizens and bail them out amid this unnecessary SIR panic,' Hakim had stated.
Citizen Complaints and Middleman Racket
During the surge in applications, citizens complained about the chatbot service collapsing and a very slow document verification process. Some alleged harassment and demands for hefty payments for the free service. A KMC official noted that a middleman racket had become active, exploiting the situation. The manual clearance system that existed before the pandemic could handle around 300 applications daily, but the chatbot service reduced that to less than half. 'We received complaints from citizens about harassment by a section of civic employees. We will try to ensure citizens are not harassed, and if the documents they provided are genuine, issuance of certificates should be hassle-free,' the official added.
Police Involvement
The official emphasized that police stationed outside the birth/death certificate wing should be more vigilant in spotting middlemen who claim connections and expedite services for cash payments.
The suspension of the chatbot service is expected to facilitate the state government's probe and prevent further fraudulent issuances.
