Residence certificate issued to dog in Patna, FIRs ordered against erring officials

Patna, July 28 (IANS) In a bizarre and alarming incident, a residence certificate was issued to a dog by the name of 'Dog Babu' in the Masaurhi zone of Bihar's Patna district.

The revelation has triggered serious administrative concern, prompting swift action from the district authorities.

As per the content of the certificate, the name of the applicant mentioned on it is Dog Babu, father's name Kutta Babu and mother's name Kutiya Devi.

As soon as the irregularity came to light, the certificate was immediately cancelled, and an inquiry was ordered by the district administration.

Calling the matter "serious and unacceptable", Patna District Magistrate Thiyagarajan S.M. said that primary FIRs are being filed against the applicant, the computer operator, and the revenue officer involved in issuing the certificate.

"We have issued an order to suspend the guilty personnel in this case. The Masaurhi Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) has been directed to conduct a thorough inquiry and submit a detailed report within 24 hours," Thiyagarajan said.

"Such negligence and fraud will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Strict departmental and disciplinary action will follow," the District Magistrate added.

The unusual case -- where a government residence certificate was issued in the name of an animal -- has now become a topic of public debate and mockery.

Local people are expressing deep concern over the integrity of government record systems and are demanding stringent punishment for those involved to set a deterrent precedent.

According to sources, the application may have been made deliberately as a fraud, or slipped through due to gross negligence at the data entry and verification stages.

In a statement, the district administration reiterated its commitment to ensuring the reliability of government-issued documents.

The district administration has implemented stricter scrutiny protocols in the issuance of certificates and held employees accountable for lapses or complicity in such acts.

Officials say the case will be used to audit procedures across other blocks and zones in the district to prevent recurrence.

--IANS

ajk/khz