Mumbai, April 7: Even digital birth records now require citizens to visit ward offices, fill forms, pay fees, and await Medical Health Officers’ approval—a process earlier needed only for old physical
records. Former Congress corporator Asif Zakaria criticised the BMC, calling the procedure unnecessarily complicated and inconvenient for Mumbaikars.
New process leads to delays and inconvenience
According to Zakaria, the new process has caused significant delays, with applications from all 26 wards routed for verification, resulting in waiting periods of several months.
He questioned why the civic body has made access to essential documents more difficult despite digital records, noting that post-2002 records on the SAP system are reportedly locked, forcing citizens to follow lengthy manual procedures.
Impact on citizens and public services
He emphasised that the delays are impacting a wide spectrum of citizens, from students awaiting admissions to individuals applying for passports and families in need of essential documents.
Criticising the move, Zakaria said, “If there were only a few issues, why make every Mumbaikar suffer? This completely undermines the principle of Ease of Doing Business.”
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Calls for streamlining the system
Activists and citizens have voiced similar concerns, calling on the BMC to streamline the process and ensure faster, hassle-free access to vital civic records. Dr Daksha Shah, BMC's Executive Health Officer, was not available for comment.
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