TURA : Residents of West Garo Hills have been asked to register every birth and death within 21 days to avoid late fees and lengthy legal procedures.
The appeal was issued by the district authorities under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, and the Meghalaya Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 1999, amended in 2025.
Births and deaths can be registered through the Civil Registration System (CRS) portal at designated registration units across the district. These include the Tura Municipal Board office, government hospitals, CHCs, PHCs and State Dispensaries.
The Medical Officer in-charge of the concerned health facility serves as the Registrar for births and deaths occurring within that area.
Registration is free when completed within 21 days, whether the birth or death takes place in a hospital or at home.
If registration is done after 30 days but within one year, permission from the District Registrar or prescribed authority is required, along with the applicable late fee and supporting documents.
Cases reported after one year involve a more lengthy process. Applicants must obtain a Non-Availability Certificate from the concerned registration unit and an order from the District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate or an authorised Executive Magistrate. A late fee also applies.
District Nodal Officer for Registration of Births and Deaths, Dr (Mrs) Angelice A·gitok Sangma, urged people not to delay registration.
“Everyone should come forward and register births and deaths within 21 days of occurrence in order to avoid unnecessary payment of fees and court procedures as prescribed under the Rules,” she said.
She also stressed the need to provide correct information and documents while applying, as correcting mistakes in birth and death certificates can be a lengthy process.
For hospital births and deaths, certificates may in certain cases be issued using information already recorded through the eVIN system. For home births or deaths, applicants can provide government identity documents, available records or, where such documents are unavailable, a certificate from the concerned Nokma confirming the place and date of the event.
The district administration also held a meeting on Tuesday to review registration of births and deaths and improve coordination among departments.
The meeting was chaired by West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Vibhor Aggarwal, who is also chairman of the district-level committee. District health officials and other members of the committee attended the meeting.
