‘Probe NDMC fake birth certificate scam’

The Central Information Commission has ordered an inquiry into “gross irregularities” in issuance of fake birth certificates by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) after 49 forged certificates came to light.

Information commissioner Yashovardhan Azad noted in his order that practices and procedures devoid of transparency end up being a “breeding ground” for malpractices of fraudulence, manipulation and corruption.

“Upon perusal of the aforementioned facts and submissions of the case, gross irregularities have surfaced in this case, showcasing over 49 fake birth certificates has come as a shocking revelation. It is appalling that such a heinous crime is being committed in an unbridled manner, right in the capital where maximum legal checks and safeguards are expected to be in place for smooth governance and providing best of civic amenities to the citizens,” Mr Azad said in his order.

The commissioner, a former IPS officer, found that the birth certificates were issued by the NDMC merely on the basis of hard copies of certain orders purportedly issued by the SDM office, and for all the 47 birth certificates issued, there is no corresponding soft copy of the same SDM orders available online on the Delhi government website. “As is evident from the facts of the case at hand, 49 fake birth certificates indicate that the procedures were twisted and rules/policies and laws violated for creating fabricated documents. These forged documents, 49 in all, which have been dealt with in this case, were created without any cross linking or cross referencing,” he said.

Mr Azad said the RTI Act was enacted to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority in order to strengthen the core constitutional values of a democratic republic — keeping in mind rights of an informed citizenry in which transparency of information is vital in curbing corruption and making the government and its instrumentalities accountable.

Mr Azad lauded the efforts of RTI applicant Rajnish Kumar Dhingra, who brought this case before the commission through persistent RTIs to the NDMC.