Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (NJC)
Mangaluru, Jul 8: Alleging that the public is facing severe inconvenience due to administrative lapses, MLA Vedavyas Kamath on Wednesday urged the state government to immediately resolve issues related to the issuance of birth and death certificates and the land conversion process in Mangaluru.
Addressing a press conference, Kamath said that the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has displayed a notice stating that applications at the Birth and Death Registration Unit will not be accepted until July 29, as staff and officials have been deputed for SIR-related duties. He said the decision has left citizens unable to obtain birth and death certificates on an urgent basis.
Questioning the move, Kamath asked whether the state government expected that there would be no births or deaths in Mangaluru for a month. He pointed out that birth certificates are essential for school admissions and passport applications, and the suspension of services has caused unnecessary hardship to the public.
He alleged that although the MCC resumed accepting applications on Tuesday following public complaints, applicants were informed that there would be no assurance regarding the timely issuance of certificates.
The MLA further criticised the Congress-led state government, claiming that the fee for obtaining birth and death certificates had been increased from Rs 5 during the previous BJP government to Rs 75. He remarked that if applications were to remain suspended, the civic body should also stop collecting taxes and accepting other payments from citizens for a month.
Kamath also alleged that long queues outside the MCC office reflected the difficulties faced by the public and said the prevailing situation has led to frequent arguments between citizens and civic staff. He urged the authorities to streamline services and ensure that public work is carried out without delay.
Raising another issue, Kamath said that the land conversion (conversion) process within Mangaluru city limits has become a major concern for property owners. He explained that while the state government has transferred the responsibility for land conversion from the Revenue Department to the Mangaluru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), the necessary records and survey personnel continue to remain with the Revenue Department.
According to him, MUDA officials insist that land conversion cannot be processed without survey maps, while Revenue Department officials claim they are no longer authorised to prepare them under the new government order. As a result, land conversion applications have come to a standstill, affecting property transactions and causing hardship to the public.
Kamath said representations have already been submitted to the Revenue Minister and the department secretary, and similar representations would also be submitted to the Urban Development Minister and the department secretary. He urged the state government to intervene immediately and resolve the confusion.
The MLA also accused the state government of misusing the administrative machinery in the ongoing SIR process. He alleged that forms were being distributed and filled in at common locations, including for people residing abroad, and that residence certificates were being used improperly. He further claimed that attempts were being made to include ineligible persons in the voters' list and said the BJP would collect evidence and submit a complaint to the Election Commission.
BJP Mangaluru South Mandal president Ramesh Kandettu, general secretaries Ramesh Hegde and Lalesh Kumar, district general secretary Premananda Shetty, secretary Poornima, and mandal office-bearer Mangala Achar were present at the press conference.