Patna: Obtaining birth, death and genealogy certificates in Bihar could become easier after the state government issued directions on the acceptance of affidavits executed before a Notary Public.
The government has instructed concerned officials to recognise valid notary affidavits submitted in connection with these certificates and to address any difficulties arising during the process. The move is aimed at reducing unnecessary hurdles for citizens visiting Circle Offices and other government offices.
What The New Direction Says
According to the government order, an affidavit duly executed before a Notary Public or an authorised certifying officer should be recognised in accordance with the applicable rules.
Officials have been instructed not to reject such affidavits merely because they were executed before a Notary Public.
The directive also calls for any difficulties concerning the acceptance of these affidavits to be resolved at the appropriate level, rather than requiring applicants to make repeated visits to government offices.
Directions Sent To Officials
Joint Secretary to the Bihar government Nitish Kumar has communicated the instructions to the Secretary of the Planning and Development Department in Patna and the District Magistrate of Lakhisarai.
The directions relate to procedures involving birth, death and genealogy certificates and follow earlier instructions issued by the Chief Secretary regarding the validity of affidavits executed before a Notary Public.
How The Matter Reached The Government
The issue came to the government’s attention after Pramod Kumar Rai, an advocate from Ara, submitted an application to the President’s Secretariat in New Delhi seeking recognition of affidavits executed before a Notary Public.
The matter was subsequently examined at the state government level, following which instructions were issued to the concerned departments and district authorities.
Officials Told To Remove Unnecessary Hurdles
The government has specifically directed officials to address instances where applicants face unnecessary difficulties over the acceptance of notary affidavits.
The objective is to ensure that applicants who have submitted valid documents are not subjected to avoidable delays or repeated visits because of objections relating solely to the manner in which an affidavit was executed.
What This Means For Applicants
For people applying for birth, death or genealogy certificates, the directive is expected to provide greater clarity on the treatment of notary affidavits.
Applicants will still have to meet the prescribed requirements for the relevant certificate. However, where a notary affidavit is valid under the applicable rules, officials have been directed to recognise it and resolve procedural difficulties rather than reject it solely on the basis that it was notarised.
The concerned departments and district officials are now expected to implement the instructions and ensure that certificate-related applications are processed in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
