The Belagavi city Corporation has begun levying a late fee of ₹50 for delayed death registrations. Until now, if a death was not registered within one month, the family was required to submit an affidavit (bond) costing around ₹200. Now, in addition to the affidavit, the Corporation is also collecting a ₹50 late fee.
The Birth and Death Registration Department confirmed that this new fee collection has been in effect for the past few days. Citizens can pay either in cash or through digital modes. However, many have questioned why both an affidavit and a late fee are required.
Notably, no official decision regarding the late fee was taken in either the Arogya Standing Committee or the Municipal Corporation’s general body meeting. Still, the fee is being collected, reports the Sakal.
Previously, the death registration process was relatively simple. Information was recorded at crematoriums or burial grounds and passed on to the municipal health department. Now, relatives are forced to make multiple visits to municipal offices, making the process both time-consuming and expensive.
Citizens have raised concerns that instead of simplifying the process, the Corporation has made it more complicated and costly. Complaints are widespread, yet corporators have remained silent on the issue in both standing and general body meetings.
In June 2024, the Lokayukta raided the Birth and Death Certificate Department after receiving complaints of malpractice. However, no serious corrective measures were taken, and issues like the mandatory doctor’s certificate for deaths at home continue to trouble citizens.
While the Corporation insists the charges are legitimate, many citizens see this as yet another way to burden grieving families and generate additional municipal revenue.
Take fees but make everything online. So that common man can fill forms and register online