TAXILA: The residents of three different union councils (UCs) in Taxila, especially students, are facing hardship as the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) is not issuing a special paper to the administrations of the UCs for the preparation of online computerised birth, death and marriage certificates due to the nonpayment of dues.

The residents of Sarai Kala, Gheela and Mohra Shah Wali Shah union councils said Nadra stopped the issuance of the special paper to the UCs about eight months ago.

As a result, the UCs are unable to issue these basic documents to the residents and hundreds of students have failed to submit their admission forms on time to different colleges and the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.

Nadra stopped issuing special paper to UCs for preparation of the documents due to nonpayment of arrears eight months ago, officials say

Zahura Naqvi, a resident of UC Mohra Shah Wali Shah, told Dawn that she was running from pillar to post to get the death certificate of her father to receive his government pension.

She said the authorities concerned accepted only computerised certificates to release the pension.

Malik Aftab Hussain, an officer-bearer of an NGO, said scores of people from the Sarai Kala UC were shuttling between the UC office and Nadra to get computerised birth certificates for their children.

“The officials of the union councils, particularly secretaries, are responsible for creating this situation,” he added.

Councilor Syed Mehtab Shah from Mohra Shah Wali Shah UC said the matters related to the transfer of property, admission forms and visa requirements for going abroad had been inordinately delayed due to the issue.

Malik Allah Ditta Awan, a local PML-N leader, said cheques against the dues had been handed over to the local Nadra officials but the latter failed to deposit it in the bank concerned on time and as a result the funds lapsed.

When contacted, an official at the local Nadra office confirmed that they had suspended issuing online computerised birth, death and marriage certificates to the residents of the three UCs due to the nonpayment of the dues against the special paper.

When the local municipal committee concerned officials were contacted, they also told Dawn that a cheque against the outstanding amount was released to Nadra but the latter did not deposit it in the bank on time and the budget lapsed.

Chief Officer Municipal Committee Mian Mohammad Usman added that under the Punjab Local Government (fourth amendment) Ordinance 2013, the three union councils were devolved to the municipal committee.

He said as per the ordinance these UCs should have been devolved along with its assets and liabilities but the same was not done. As a result, all the accounts of these UCs were frozen and subsequently the MCs were unable to pay the dues to Nadra after December 2017.

He said the secretary Punjab local government and community development had been approached to unfreeze the accounts and give it under the administrative control of the municipal committee to resolve the issue.

The residents of the three union councils called upon the authorities concerned to resolve the matter on a priority basis.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2018