In a tragic twist of fate, a 62-year-old man from Savgaon village, Belagavi taluk, has been embroiled in a bureaucratic nightmare for the past 17 months after being mistakenly declared dead by government authorities. Ganapati Khachu Kakatkar, who sought to claim land rights for his family, has found himself fighting to prove he is alive due to a clerical error made during the process of obtaining his grandfather’s death certificate.
The ordeal began when Ganapati and his brothers sought a succession certificate to claim 6 acres and 23 guntas of land left by their late grandfather, Masanu Shattu Kakatkar. The property had been divided among Masanu’s three sons before his death in 1976. Over time, with the passing of Masanu’s sons, his grandsons, including Ganapati, became entitled to the remaining land.
When the family tried to obtain Masanu’s death certificate through the tahsildar’s office, they faced repeated setbacks. After petitioning the Fourth JMFC Court in Belagavi, the court ordered the tahsildar’s office to issue the certificate. However, the process took a dramatic turn when a computer operator at the Hindalga revenue inspector’s office mistakenly used Ganapati’s Aadhaar card number instead of his grandfather’s. This error not only blocked Ganapati’s Aadhaar but also removed him from the ration card, effectively making him “dead” in government records.
Ganapati discovered the blunder in August 2023 and has been tirelessly trying to rectify the situation, yet he faced apathy and inaction from various local offices. As a result, he has been denied critical benefits, including old-age pensions, crop-loss compensation, and assistance under the PM Kisan Fund.
After months of frustration, Ganapati appealed to Deputy Commissioner Mohammed Roshan on January 6, 2025. Roshan assured him that the issue would be promptly addressed. However, this ongoing battle for recognition underscores the damaging consequences of clerical errors and the bureaucratic inertia that perpetuates them.
For now, Ganapati’s fight is not just about land rights but about reclaiming his basic right to be recognized as alive.