PATNA: The Bihar government is likely to issue an advisory cautioning registrars and sub-registrars against mentioning the name of the spouse of the deceased, while issuing death certificates through the civil registration system (CRS), said people familiar with the matter.
This development comes after a government probe on February 17, following an expose by the Hindustan Times on February 10 into Patna’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) issuing two death certificates of the same person with different names of spouses on the death certificates. The goof-up by AIIMS led to the second woman, the deceased had allegedly married, without a divorce from his wife, to pocket the government ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh to the next of kin of the Covid-19 victim.
“We will advise our registrars and sub-registrars of birth and death to avoid mentioning the name of the spouse of the deceased unless the applicant seeking the death certificate produces irrefutable evidence to establish the relationship,” said government officials.
Mentioning the spouse’s name is not a mandatory field on a death certificate. A death certificate is only a document to establish the date and place of death, as per the Bihar registration of birth and death Act. It is not a document to establish one’s relationship, said the officials quoted above.
“The blunder by AIIMS will also be used as an example to send a stern message to all our registrars and sub-registrars of birth and death to be careful in making such entries on the CRS portal,” they added.
Panchayat sachiv (secretary), chief/medical officer of a municipal corporation, executive officer of different circles in a municipal corporation, medical officer in charge of government health facilities, including deputy superintendents in sadar hospital, and anganwadi sevikas, are among the representatives of panchayati raj institutions, urban development, social welfare, and health departments designated as registrar and sub-registrar of birth and death, as per the Act.
The Bihar government is in the process of bringing an amendment to this Act.
