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Tribals happy over UNICEF project

Staff Reporter

Issue of birth certificates at the doorstop

BERHAMPUR: Tribals in remote areas of Ganjam district, who are yet to have identity papers for themselves, are happy to get birth certificates of their progenies at their doorstep.

A project sponsored by the UNICEF is continuing in the district to provide birth certificates to all tribal children between the age of 1 to 14 near their homes. A tribal activist, Jagabandhu Sabar of Beguniapada area said: "At least the birth certificates of our children would prove that we are living on jungle land for generations other wise who will come over to these remote places to give birth certificates to their children." Sabar is enthusiastic about the project as according to him these birth certificates would provide some proof regarding their ownership of the land on which tribals stay in jungles.

Cumbersome process

Owning to efforts of the village level health workers, most of the births get registered but the tribals, due to their ignorance, do not collect birth certificates. When they try to collect the birth certificates after years they get dissuaded by the long bureaucratic process and the money involved.

Mangaraj Panda, the director of United Artists, which has joined hands with the UNICEF to take up the project said, usually births in tribal areas are recorded without names to get names put on the certificates needs deposition of Rs. 2 as treasury challan which is a cumbersome process for an ignorant tribal.

It was an effort to get together a notary public, local tehsildar, doctor of the local primary health centre at a particular point in tribal areas to issue birth certificates at the spot after on the spot verification of children. Till now birth certificates have been issued to the parents of 2024 tribal children living in remote areas of 11 blocks of Ganjam district. This work could be done through 26 camps.

On June 22 a meeting is to be held where administrative officials, health officials, parent representatives from tribal villages would get together to decide upon the future course of action so that the tribals can get birth certificates for their children in time near their homes.

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