Pune: The online system for birth and death registrations and issuing certificates has been malfunctioning, leading to considerable inconvenience for citizens.
This system, which was provided by the central government to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), has been facing technical issues for some time. Despite written complaints, there has been no improvement in the system’s functionality, forcing municipal employees to deal with public dissatisfaction.
Since 2019, the registration of births and deaths in Pune has been conducted through the Civil Registration Software (CRS) developed by the central government.
Prior to this, PMC operated its own system. The introduction of CRS was intended to standardize birth and death certificates across the nation, making it mandatory for all local governing bodies to use this system. However, several months ago, the system underwent significant changes, complicating the process for many citizens.
Previously, citizens could obtain birth and death certificates from any ward office in Pune, regardless of where the birth or death occurred.
However, since June 24, new changes to the software mandate that certificates can only be obtained from the ward office where the birth or death was registered.
This has caused inconvenience to many, as they now have to visit specific ward offices. Adding to the issue, the system has been prone to frequent breakdowns or significant slowdowns, causing long lines at the civic service centers. The registration process for new certificates has also slowed down considerably.
During a meeting two weeks ago, officials from the Pune Municipal Corporation, along with doctors and staff from other districts, voiced their concerns to the state government. However, no improvements have been made so far.
As of today, the system at the civic service center of Pune Municipal Corporation was still down. Municipal officials have confirmed that they plan to send a formal letter of complaint to the state government regarding the continued technical issues.