Punjab digitizes birth, death records system

RAWALPINDI: Birth and Death Registration Rules have been introduced in the Punjab Local Government and Community Development Department, bringing considerable relaxation to the citizens by making the registration process easy and by doing away with a number of existing requirements.

These new rules, which shall be fully enforced as of August 1, include provisions regarding the free registration of births and deaths and computerised certificates being issued to those whose events have taken place up to seven years ago.

Under the new registration rules, all the existing registration charges for those cases that have occurred within seven years have been done away with.

Court decree is no longer needed in cases where there is late registration. Besides, the registration process has been made digitised and would be carried out through an online portal.

According to the new rules, the Secretary of the concerned Union Council has been authorised to register births of those children who are below one year old, while Assistant Director can approve the registrations of those children who are over one year but not older than seven years old.

Registration for those who are above seven years of age would be taken care of by the Deputy  Director concerned.