Tribal villagers protest delay in issuing death certificates

Paderu (ASR District): In a unique and emotional protest, tribal residents of Buriga and Chinna Konela hilltop villages in Ananthagiri mandal on Sunday knelt with folded hands, appealing to officials to issue pending late death certificates. The villagers said that as many as 18 applications for death certificates were submitted at the Rompilli Secretariat nearly a year ago, and the required challans were also paid. However, “even after one year, the certificates have not been issued,” they alleged, expressing distress over the delay.

They urged the district collector to intervene and resolve the issue at the earliest. “If our problem is not addressed, we will undertake a padayatra from Buriga village to the Ananthagiri Mandal Revenue Office,” they warned. Around 70 families live in the remote hilltop villages under Rompilli panchayat. Villagers said they have to travel nearly 12 km to reach the secretariat at Rompilli, while the mandal headquarters Ananthagiri, is about 70 km away. The district headquarters at Paderu is nearly 150 km from their villages, making access to services difficult.

Former ward member Somulu Appalaraju and tribal farmers’ leader Vanaparthi Simhachalam said that earlier there was little awareness about the need for birth and death certificates. “After the village secretariat system was introduced, we came to know through volunteers that death and legal heir certificates are necessary,” they said. Villagers, including Badnani Kothamma and Somulu Errayya alleged that despite following due procedure, revenue officials have failed to respond to their applications.