Vigilance probe ordered into fake birth and death certificates scam in GHMC

A massive scam involving issue of birth and death certificates without proper documentary proofs has come to light in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

Officials are worried if illegal immigrants, anti-national and anti-social elements have taken advantage of the corrupt practices.

According to sources in GHMC, about 31,000 certificates have been issued between March 2020 and December 2022.

Higher authorities suspect the involvement of some officials of the births and death certificates section working in the head office, computer operators and some brokers behind the massive scam.

Sources said as many as 27,328 birth certificates and 4,126 death certificates were issued during the period.

It is pertinent to mention here that GHMC is one of the top corrupt departments in Telangana.

While town planning section is the highest corrupt wing, every other wing of GHMC is known for gross corruption, ACB officials said.

However, it appears the ACB has become toothless in the last nine years as far as its anti-corruption drive against GHMC is concerned, for the reasons best known to the probe agency.

Also, the internal vigilance wing of GHMC has been a mute spectator, while the vigilance and enforcement wing of the state has been rendered inactive.

In this background, it has to be seen whether the accused in the births and certificates scam are brought to justice.