Banda Court Slams Municipal Council Over Nine-Month Delay
The Banda Permanent Lok Adalat has ordered action against Municipal Council staff after a nine-month delay in issuing a death certificate.
The Permanent Lok Adalat in Banda has taken a stern view of the administrative negligence displayed by the Banda Municipal Council. The court issued a formal critique after the local body failed to issue a death certificate for nearly nine months, despite the applicant providing all necessary documentation and fees.
The Case of Ramrati Devi Pandey
The legal battle began when Girjesh Kumar Pandey, a resident of Kailashpuri and a practicing advocate, sought a death certificate for his late mother, Ramrati Devi Pandey, who had passed away on June 22, 2008. On August 21, 2025, Pandey submitted a complete application to the Municipal Council. His submission included:
- A formal affidavit
- Two witness affidavits
- His Aadhaar card
- A challan for the required 10-rupee late fee
Although the council's sanitation supervisor and relevant staff had verified the application, the certificate was never issued. Frustrated by the lack of progress, Pandey filed suit number 67/2025 in the Permanent Lok Adalat on October 29, 2025.
Contradictory Claims by the Council
During the proceedings, the Municipal Council initially attempted to justify the delay by claiming there was overwriting or the use of whitener on the affidavits. They further argued that there was a lack of documentary evidence regarding the death.
However, these claims were eventually contradicted by the council's own records. In a report submitted to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate on May 16, 2026, the Municipal Council admitted that the applicant had indeed provided all necessary documentation. This included the death date affidavit, witness affidavits, the 10-rupee fee, and investigation reports from the sanitation supervisor, the sanitation inspector, and the birth-death clerk. Following this internal admission, the council finally recommended the issuance of the certificate.
Court Orders Accountability
The Permanent Lok Adalat, presided over by Chairman Vivek Kumar Gupta and members Dr. Brahmadatt Singh and Shivangi Shukla, observed that while the certificate was eventually processed, the nine-month delay represented a significant deficiency in service.
While the court noted that allegations regarding demands for illicit payments remained verbal accusations without independent evidence, it did not let the administrative failure go unpunished. The court has issued the following directives:
- The Executive Officer of the Municipal Council must conduct a thorough departmental investigation into the negligence.
- The council must identify the specific employees responsible for the delay.
- Legal action must be initiated against those found accountable for the lapse.