Dehradun: In view of the serious irregularities coming to light in the family registers in the state, the Dhami government has adopted a strict stance. In a high-level meeting, CM Dhami ordered a statewide investigation. Copies of the family/household registers available in all districts of the state have been ordered to be immediately secured with the respective District Magistrates to prevent any tampering with the records. It was also decided that a thorough investigation of the family registers would be conducted at the CDO/ADM level.
In the meeting chaired by CM Dhami, it was also decided that the scope of the investigation would cover the period from 2003 to the present, so that potential irregularities in previous years could also be identified. Departmental and legal action will be ensured against those who have registered their names based on forged documents, as per the rules.
CM Dhami clarified that the registration and copying services of the family register are governed under the Panchayat Raj (Maintenance of Family Registers) Rules, 1970. According to the rules, it is mandatory for the name of every family residing in rural areas to be entered in the family/household register. The rules also contain provisions for the correction of existing entries and the addition of new names, which are now being made more stringent and transparent.
He clarified that the Assistant Development Officer (Panchayat) has the authority to register names in the family register, while the right of appeal rests with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. Currently, services related to the family register are also available through the Apni Sarkar portal.
Apprehension of demographic imbalance
The meeting also revealed that in recent years, there has been apprehension that the demographic balance has been affected due to the registration of names in the family register based on unauthorized settlements in the rural areas of the plains districts bordering the state. Against this backdrop, the government felt the need to make necessary amendments to the rules related to the family register. According to the data presented by the Panchayati Raj Department, a large number of applications for services related to the family register were received across the state in 2025. Between April 1 and December 31, 2025, 266,294 applications were received for adding new families to the register. Of these, 260,337 applications were approved, while 5,429 were rejected due to violations of rules and incomplete documentation. According to experts, the number of rejected applications suggests the possibility of fraudulent entries, and in light of this, a decision was made to further strengthen the process. The Chief Minister directed that investigations be conducted uniformly across all districts of the state, including the border districts, to ensure that there is no discrimination or laxity in any region. It was also decided that the process for registering names in the family register would be governed by a clear policy and presented to the Cabinet in the future. The Chief Minister unequivocally stated that tampering with government records would not be tolerated under any circumstances, and strict action would be taken against those found guilty.
