Are you a resident of Kolkata urgently needing a digital birth certificate for passport renewal or to prove citizenship during an SIR hearing? Have you been struggling to secure a chatbot appointment slot for this essential document? A disturbing racket operating within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation's birth certificate wing is exploiting this very desperation, offering premium 'Tatkal' slots for exorbitant fees ranging from Rs 20,000 to a staggering Rs 30,000.
Organized Malpractice Within KMC Exposed
Investigations reveal that a section of KMC birth certificate wing employees, allegedly in collusion with external touts, is systematically running this corrupt operation. The issue came to a head recently when a citizen known to be close to KMC Chairperson Mala Roy was explicitly offered a Tatkal slot for Rs 30,000. The seriousness of the matter escalated after the applicant directly informed Chairperson Roy about this illicit offer.
Internal Sources Confirm Racket's Existence
A KMC source confirmed that a clerk from the birth certificate wing is believed to be a key figure behind this malpractice policy. In another instance, when a senior KMC official stationed at the civic headquarters sent a messenger to inquire about an abnormally delayed birth certificate application filed by a relative two months prior, the messenger was asked for Rs 10,000 to expedite the process. The officer subsequently escalated the issue to a senior health department official, leading to a resolution.
Exploiting Passport and SIR Verification Procedures
Sources within the KMC health department have conceded that this extortion racket has resurfaced, capitalizing on the heightened demand for speedy document handover. This demand is driven primarily by SIR (Special Investigation Report) camps and the police verification process for birth certificates required during passport applications. A KMC health department official acknowledged that the civic headquarters is being inundated with complaints from citizens facing harassment under the guise of document submission requirements.
One such complaint came from a retired teacher residing in Dhakuria. Despite having submitted a photocopy of an existing birth certificate along with a hospital discharge certificate for her son, she was told to wait for a month. The alternative presented was a payment of Rs 20,000 if she required the document urgently.
Top KMC Leadership Vows Action
KMC Chairperson Mala Roy has declared the situation serious and in need of immediate intervention. "It can't be tolerated that a section of the birth certificate wing will go on harassing citizens to earn easy money and the civic administration will sit silently. The matter assumes significance and needs intervention," Roy stated emphatically.
Echoing this sentiment, Deputy Mayor and in-charge of the KMC Health Department, Atin Ghosh, issued a stern warning on Monday. He made it unequivocally clear that his department would not spare anyone found guilty of extorting money by bypassing rules to issue birth certificates. "Citizens should choose the Chatbot and apply for birth certificates. If anyone is issuing birth certificates out of turn, it needs to be investigated and the persons associated with the racket should be taken to task immediately," Ghosh asserted.
This exposé highlights a critical governance failure affecting Kolkata's citizens during crucial administrative processes like passport renewal. It underscores the urgent need for systemic checks, transparency in the digital certificate issuance process, and stringent action against corrupt officials exploiting public need.
