From Our Correspondent
TURA, Sep 13: The All Meghalaya Minorities Students’ Union (AMMSU) has called for the introduction of an official online portal for the application and issuance of birth and death certificates in Meghalaya, citing difficulties faced by citizens due to the absence of a fully functional digital system.
In a letter to Chief Secretary DP Wahlang, union president Nur Islam highlighted the hardships people currently face, as they are compelled to visit government offices multiple times to obtain these essential documents. This, he said, leads to high transportation costs, loss of time and inconvenience, particularly for those living in rural and remote areas.
He noted that several neighbouring states, such as Assam, already have fully digital systems in place, allowing citizens to apply for, download and verify certificates online. These services, he added, have improved transparency, efficiency, and accessibility.
The union has therefore urged the state government to introduce a similar facility with key features, including a simplified application and issuance process, time and cost savings by avoiding repeated office visits, greater transparency and accuracy of records, alignment with the Digital India initiative and equal access for both urban and rural citizens. The union also recommended a provision to digitise or re-issue existing offline certificates so that old records are easily accessible in the digital system.
“Such a system will not only reduce hardship for the public but also ease the workload of government offices, making the process more efficient and citizen-friendly,” the union president said.