Bobbili Tahsildar fined Rs 10k for not issuing family certificates to widow

Vizianagaram consumer disputes redressal commission has asked Tahsildar (Mandal Revenue Officer), Bobbili, to pay a compensation of Rs 5,000 and a legal cost of Rs 5,000 to a woman for not issuing an integrated certificate and family certificate of her husband.

The commission also directed the Tahsildar to issue certificates to the woman forthwith.

Petitioner Deepika Rani, a widow, and resident of Agraharam street in Bobbili Mandal said her husband Nadminiti Lakshmu Naidu of Pakki Village was an RMS Sorting Assistant in the Postal Department in Vizag.

Naidu died of COVID-19 at Maharaja Hospital in Vizianagaram on April 27, 2021.

Deepika Rani and her daughter Lakshmi Jaswitha are the legal heirs of Naidu. Since the death of her husband, Deepika Rani and her daughter have been living at her parent's house in Bobbili.

Since she is MSc in Microbiology and is eligible for an appointment on compassionate grounds, she has approached the postal department authorities for the job.

Postal authorities asked her to submit the death certificate of her father. Besides, she was asked to submit the family members' certificate and integrated certificate of Deepika Rani.

Deepika Rani obtained the death certificate of her husband from the Medical Superintendent, Vizianagaram on September 7, 2021. She also approached the Tahsildar, Bobbili for the integrated certificate by paying Rs 45 through mee-seva. She also applied for the family certificate by paying Rs 45 through mee-seva.

However, the revenue authorities didn't issue the integrated certificate citing that Deepika Rani is a native of Badangi Mandal. They also refused to issue a family member certificate citing that she has suppressed the name of one of the family members.

The commission led by its president R Venkata Nagasundar observed that Deepika Rani has submitted the necessary documents for the integrated certificate and family member certificate. But the Revenue authorities have refused to issue the certificates without any justifiable reason. The commission said the service was deficient on the part of the revenue officials.

The commission directed the Tahsildar to pay Rs 5,000 compensation to the woman for causing mental agony and issue a family member certificate of the deceased and an Integrated certificate of the woman after conducting a due inquiry.