Maharashtra Cancels Aadhaar-Only Birth Certificates As State Launches Major Fraud Crackdown
Maharashtra Cancels Aadhaar-Only Birth Certificates As State Launches Major Fraud Crackdown
The Revenue Department has ordered all Aadhaar-based birth and death certificates to be cancelled immediately, citing misuse, security risks, and violation of central guidelines.
Maharashtra has announced a sweeping Statewide crackdown to cancel thousands of birth and death certificates issued solely on the basis of Aadhaar. The order, issued on November 27 by the Revenue and Forest Department, follows reports of widespread fraud involving forged documents used to obtain government benefits, encroach land, and in some cases, facilitate activities posing national security risks.
The directive was signed by Deputy Secretary Mahesh Varudkar after a high-level meeting held on November 11. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule confirmed that the campaign aims to recover all defective certificates and delete their entries from the Civil Registration System portal.
According to the circular, Aadhaar cannot be treated as standalone proof of date or place of birth. This aligns with central government guidelines, which clearly state that Aadhaar is not to be used as evidence for establishing birth information in any legal or official matter.
A 16-point verification procedure has now been issued to all Divisional Commissioners, District Collectors, Tehsildars and urban local bodies. Orders issued by Nayab Tehsildars after the August 11, 2023 amendment to the Birth and Death Registration Act must be withdrawn and reviewed at the Collector level before revalidation.
Certificates issued only on the basis of Aadhaar are to be cancelled immediately, and original documents must be recovered from beneficiaries. If a beneficiary cannot be traced or fails to surrender the certificate, police assistance must be sought and the individual may be declared absconding.
Officials have also been instructed to verify delayed birth entries issued without proper Tehsildar approval. Any certificate found to be invalid must be cancelled. Applications suspended across the state must now be reviewed under the Public Health Department’s rules, and discrepancies between an application and the Aadhaar date of birth will lead to immediate FIR registration.
Tehsildars and Executive Magistrates have been instructed to compile lists of certificates issued solely on the basis of Aadhaar and forward them to police stations for action. In cases where no FIR exists, complaints of forgery or fraud are to be filed. District Collectors must submit detailed reports on all pending, approved, cancelled and recovered certificates.
Fourteen districts have been identified as hotspots for misuse. These include Amravati, Akola, Sillod, Sambhajinagar city, Latur, Anjangaon Surji, Achalpur, Pusad, Parbhani, Beed, Gevrai, Jalna, Ardhapur and Parli. Divisional Commissioners have been asked to organise one-day verification camps to expedite the process, involving police, Tehsildars and municipal bodies.
The government has clarified that the campaign will continue until all fraudulent or improperly issued certificates are cancelled, recovered and documented under the revised verification protocol.
