Dehradun: The Home Ministry has approved the registration of deaths and issuance of death certificates for those missing in the disaster in the Dharali and Harshil areas of Uttarkashi district. The government has designated designated and appellate officers for the process of issuing death certificates. After death registration, the families of the missing will receive financial assistance under disaster relief.
On August 5th, the Dharali disaster buried everything in the debris of the Kheer Ganga. 67 people are missing in the disaster, and 51 days later, no one has been found. The state government had submitted a proposal to the Home Ministry seeking relaxation in the standards for registering deaths of those missing in the disaster. The Registrar General of the Home Ministry has granted permission to register deaths of those missing.
Health Secretary Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar stated that approval has been granted for the registration of deaths of those missing in the disaster in the Dharali and Harshil areas of Uttarkashi district. The Sub-District Magistrate has been designated as the Designated Officer and the District Magistrate as the Appellate Authority for the registration process. Under the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1969, a missing person can be declared dead after seven years.
Exemption was also granted in the 2021 Raini disaster.
Hundreds of laborers went missing in the 2021 Raini disaster in Chamoli district. At that time, the Central Government also granted exemptions for issuing death certificates under the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1969. Now, in line with the 2021 Home Ministry order, permission has been granted to register deaths of those missing in the Dharali disaster.
Death Certificates will be issued by the Sub-District Magistrate of the affected area.
For death certificates for those missing in the disaster, family members must first file a missing person complaint at their place of origin. The complaint is then forwarded to the Sub-District Magistrate or SDM of the affected area. A 30-day notice has been issued regarding the missing person. After this, if no objections are received, a death certificate will be issued. Only after the death certificate, the family members of the missing person will be able to get financial assistance under disaster relief.
