3,595 birth certificates issued on bogus documents in Jalna, claims Somaiya

Jalna, May 23 (PTI) As many as 3,595 birth certificates were issued on bogus documents in Maharashtra's Jalna district, and the administration will collect these in a door-to-door campaign, senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya claimed on Friday.

Speaking to reporters here, Somaiya warned of strict action against officials responsible for issuing these birth certificates and those who took bribes.

The BJP leader said he held a meeting with the Jalna collector, and the latter had confirmed that employees from the Jalna Municipal Corporation and revenue department were retrieving birth certificates issued on fake documents.

"Certificates that have been wrongly issued will be taken back from beneficiaries directly at their homes," he said.

Highlighting the scale of the problem, Somaiya claimed approximately 50,000 such certificates were found in Mumbai.

"This is a serious matter. Cases will be registered against officials involved in issuing these illegal documents," he said.

He further said a campaign would be launched to remove loudspeakers from religious places in the state.

At least 60 per cent of loudspeakers have been removed from mosques in Mumbai, and the rest will be taken down in two months, Somaiya said.

He said the recent cash recovery at a guest house in Dhule was a serious issue, and the chief minister has formed an SIT to probe the matter.

The opposition has alleged that Rs 5 crore was found in a room at the guest house in Dhule city ahead of the recent visit of the Estimates Committee there and that it was meant for bribery. PTI COR ARU