Mangaluru: Mangaluru South MLA Vedavyas Kamath has urged the Karnataka government to immediately address delays in the issuance of birth and death certificates and resolve the ongoing confusion surrounding land conversion procedures in Mangaluru. Alleging that administrative lapses have caused significant inconvenience to the public, the BJP legislator criticised the functioning of the state government during a press conference held in Mangaluru on Wednesday.
Kamath claimed that the deputation of civic staff for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process had disrupted essential public services at the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC), leaving citizens struggling to obtain important documents. He also alleged that changes in the land conversion process had brought property-related applications to a standstill.
Birth and death certificate services affected
Kamath said the Mangaluru City Corporation had displayed a notice stating that applications at its Birth and Death Registration Unit would not be accepted until July 29 because staff and officials had been assigned SIR-related duties.
According to the MLA, the suspension of applications caused considerable hardship for residents who require birth and death certificates for various official purposes.
He questioned the decision, asking whether the government expected there would be no births or deaths in Mangaluru for an entire month. He pointed out that birth certificates are essential documents for school admissions, passport applications and several other government services.
Kamath further alleged that although the MCC resumed accepting applications on Tuesday following public complaints, applicants were informed that there was no guarantee regarding the timely issuance of certificates.
Criticism over increased certificate fees
The MLA also criticised the Congress-led state government over the fee charged for obtaining birth and death certificates.
He alleged that the fee had been increased from ₹5 during the previous BJP government’s tenure to ₹75 under the present administration.
Kamath remarked that if essential public services were being suspended for several weeks, the civic body should also consider stopping tax collection and other payments from citizens during the same period.
He alleged that long queues outside the MCC office reflected the extent of inconvenience caused to the public and claimed that the prevailing situation had led to frequent arguments between applicants and civic staff.
The MLA urged the authorities to streamline administrative processes and ensure that essential public services continue without disruption.
Confusion over land conversion process
Kamath also highlighted difficulties being faced by property owners due to changes in the land conversion process within Mangaluru city limits.
He explained that the state government had transferred the responsibility for land conversion from the Revenue Department to the Mangaluru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). However, he claimed that the records and survey personnel required to process applications continue to remain with the Revenue Department.
According to Kamath, MUDA officials insist that land conversion applications cannot be processed without survey maps, while Revenue Department officials maintain that they are no longer authorised to prepare such maps under the revised government order.
As a result, he alleged, land conversion applications have effectively come to a standstill, affecting property transactions and causing inconvenience to applicants.
Representation to ministers
The MLA said representations highlighting the issue have already been submitted to the Revenue Minister and the Secretary of the Revenue Department.
He added that similar representations would also be submitted to the Urban Development Minister and the department secretary, urging the state government to immediately remove the administrative confusion and restore normal processing of land conversion applications.
Kamath said resolving the issue at the earliest would provide relief to property owners and facilitate pending transactions.
Allegations regarding SIR process
During the press conference, Kamath also levelled allegations regarding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
He claimed that forms were being distributed and filled at common locations, including for individuals residing abroad, and alleged that residence certificates were being used improperly during the process.
The MLA further alleged that attempts were being made to include ineligible persons in the electoral rolls. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would collect evidence regarding the alleged irregularities and submit a complaint to the Election Commission.
The allegations were made by Kamath at the press conference and no response from the state government or the Election Commission was available at the time of reporting.
BJP leaders attend press conference
Several BJP leaders were present during the media interaction, including Mangaluru South Mandal president Ramesh Kandettu, general secretaries Ramesh Hegde and Lalesh Kumar, district general secretary Premananda Shetty, secretary Poornima and mandal office-bearer Mangala Achar.
Kamath urged the Karnataka government to prioritise uninterrupted delivery of public services and immediately address the administrative issues affecting citizens in Mangaluru.