‘Standstill’ Pernambut civic body not issuing birth, death certificates

Revealing this to DT Next, he said, “The staff meant to provide this facility have been deputed for tax collection work and hence many who need this money for conducting last rites have been forced to borrow money at interest.”

“The local body has become notorious in recent times for various people-related issues where only agitations force officials to act and that too temporarily,” says former councilorMeeran G Saleem.

Elaborating, he says, “While the issue of the municipality’s 21 wards not being provided enough water last summer despite Rs 25 lakh being sanctioned for this is now facing a vigilance inquiry, what galls us is that the municipality refuses to pull up or blacklist the contractor who has not laid roads in four streets at an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore despite the work order being issued in 2018, two years ago.”

Adding to this, local resident R Krishnaveni says, “Four streets, including hospital street and Islamiah HS school street, in the heart of the town which students and public have to cross to reach five nearby schools, have not been re-laid despite being dug up for laying pipes for the Cauvery drinking water scheme two years ago.”

Elaborating, Suresh Kumar adds, “We have agitated thrice and each time, municipal officials promise to do the needful and the police also ensure that a compromise is effected, but no action is finally taken. Despite demanding that the defaulting contractor be blacklisted for undertaking the work, not action has been taken.”

Another recent grievance is that the local body has not issued birth and death certificates from January as the concerned staff were shifted for taxcollection work.

“As some poor people need the death certificate to receive funds from the government for the last rites, non-provision of such certificates really affects people,” Suresh Kumar adds.

When asked, Commissioner Nityanandam said, “Only bill collectors have been deputed for tax collection and as the post of clerk for birth/death certificates issuance is vacant, a person has been deputed from Vaniyambadi municipality to Pernambut. The latter comes to Pernambut on Tuesdays and Fridays.”

The Vellore-based RDMA (Regional Director of Municipal Administration) when asked, said, “I have not received any complaint regarding non-provision of birth/death certificates by Pernambut municipality.”