Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Ombudsman comes to the aid of senior citizen

Thiruvananthapuram: When C. Sasidharan Nair, 64, a native of Idacode, Nemom, approached the City Corporation for a birth certificate last year, he had no idea of the ordeal he would have to undergo. After running from pillar to post for months, the retired civil engineer had all but given up the hope of securing a visa to visit his daughter abroad when, as a last resort, he decided to move the Ombudsman for Local Self Government Institutions with a petition.

Earlier this month, Ombudsman M.R. Hariharan Nair issued a direction to the Corporation to treat Mr. Sasidharan’s application as a special case and resolve the official complications that have hindered the issue of birth certificate. In his application, Mr. Nair said he was born at Sankara Bhavan, TC 907/C, Pulimoodu on April 14, 1944.

After completing his studies, he left Thiruvananthapuram in 1965 to join the Rajasthan Government Service. His father sold the family house at Pulimoodu and left the place. He is no more. In 2001, Mr. Nair opted for voluntary retirement from service and returned to Thiruvananthapuram where he settled at Idacode.

During the hearing, the Corporation informed the Ombudsman that the birth certificate could not be issued for want of a police report, a mandatory requirement.

The Circle Inspector of Police had informed the Corporation that the house at Pulimoodu had been demolished years back. The police could not trace anyone in the neighbourhood who knew Mr. Nair. During the proceedings, Mr. Nair said that the only surviving relative who could testify to his place of birth was his aunt, Thankamma who is currently confined to bed at her house .

He ordered the Corporation Secretary to depute a Health Inspector or another official to visit Ms. Thankamma at her house and record her statement. The order also directed the Corporation to consider the application favourably and report the outcome by October 3.

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