Will Bengal Introduce Multi-Level Checks for Online Birth Certificate Uploads?

Kolkata, June 21 (NationPress) The West Bengal Health Department has announced plans to implement rigorous verification protocols prior to the online posting of new birth certificates on its official site.

This decision follows the discovery of multiple instances where fraudulent birth certificates were uploaded and subsequently utilized to acquire other counterfeit identity documents, such as Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, voter IDs, and Indian passports.

According to a senior official from the health department who wished to remain anonymous, "Typically, the authorities responsible for issuing these identity documents confirm the authenticity of birth certificates via the official portal. Once a fraudulent certificate is uploaded, identifying its legitimacy becomes exceedingly challenging. Therefore, multi-tier verification will now be compulsory before any certificate is uploaded."

Alongside enhanced scrutiny for new uploads, the department is committed to the ongoing removal of previously uploaded certificates identified as fake by both the Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police.

This latest initiative is part of efforts to dismantle a significant fake document operation that was discovered in Pathankhali, located in the Gosaba block of South 24 Parganas district.

Investigators have revealed that this racket was engaged in the mass production of counterfeit birth certificates, often the initial step in generating a complete range of fraudulent Indian identity documents, including passports.

Authorities noted that some passports acquired through these forgeries had already facilitated international travel.

In response to this alarming situation, law enforcement has urged the health department to expunge these fraudulent records from the government portal to avert further exploitation.

Additionally, investigations have uncovered that the Pathankhali racket has connections in Basudebpur (near Howrah) and Manikchak in the Malda district of North Bengal.

Officials first identified the widespread abuse of fake birth certificates earlier this year amid inquiries into a multi-crore fake passport scheme.

As per investigators, illegal immigrants—primarily from Bangladesh—were being harbored in villages near both land and coastal borders. Agents would then assist them in obtaining forged birth certificates and ration cards, which served as the basis for acquiring additional Indian documents.

Authorities are optimistic that these stricter measures will significantly reduce the misuse of official digital records and dismantle networks involved in the production of counterfeit identity documents.