India, Sept. 20 -- The state health department on Tuesday ordered the reverification of all birth and death certificates issued with a delay of over one year. Suspecting that illegal immigrants had acquired the certificates using forged documents, the order directs the concerned authorities to cancel all such fraudulent certificates and register criminal cases against the defaulting individuals.

The order stated that a special drive will be carried out 'to weed out all the certificates obtained through fraudulent ways.'

According to the procedure laid down in the Maharashtra Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 2000, if there is no registration of birth then the parents can approach the tehsildar or taluka magistrate or the officer ...