By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 13 Oct: The state government has ordered a probe into the alleged forgery of documents linked with demographic manipulation in Uttarakhand. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who has repeatedly voiced concern over the matter, has received a series of complaints in this regard, alleging that fraudulent documents are being prepared using incorrect information in various parts of the state. Following these revelations, the government has ordered an immediate probe.
The issue has gained urgency after reports on the Chief Minister’s complaint portal suggested that falsified documents were being generated in several areas. The CM’s Office has gone on alert, directing accelerated verification drives at the district level and launching detailed investigations into the complaints. Early reports indicate that people from outside Uttarakhand are also likely to be involved in preparing fake documents, including adding names to family registers, obtaining ration cards, and acquiring other official certificates through fraudulent means.
The complaints received through the Chief Minister’s portal have been taken seriously at the administrative level, with the government seeking detailed reports from the officers concerned for a comprehensive inquiry. Initial findings suggest that the scrutiny extends to officials from gram pradhans to block and tehsil-level officers, with reports also sought from gram pradhans and other local representatives.
Special Secretary to the Chief Minister, Parag Madhukar Dhakate has stated that based on the complaints, district magistrates and superintendents of police have been instructed to initiate verification exercises across their respective districts. He added that any person found to have obtained Aadhaar, ration cards, or other official documents using false or forged information would face strict action under relevant laws.
Attempts to acquire domicile status in Uttarakhand through fake documentation is now being viewed by the officials as a serious concern and a threat to social harmony. Consequently, a comprehensive verification campaign has been launched across all districts, with further stringent steps to be taken once the district reports are reviewed.
Sources claim that, in several areas of Uttarakhand, particularly in the plains, population imbalance is reportedly being fuelled by manipulation of family registers. It has been alleged that some Muslim gram pradhans, in collusion with gram sabha officials, have inserted the names of their relatives into family registers to retain their posts. Preliminary investigations in villages across Pachchwa Doon in Dehradun district and other plains districts have uncovered similar irregularities.
Officials have also observed that 28 villages in Pachchwa Doon, which were previously Hindu-majority, have now become Muslim-majority. Instances have emerged where women married outside Uttarakhand were not only not removed from their family registers, while with the help of gram pradhans, the names of their husbands and children were also added. These people are reportedly availing government schemes, occupying community lands illegally, and are also listed in voter rolls while possessing Aadhaar and ration cards.
Further inquiries reveal that several such names have been simultaneously added to family registers in other states, allowing beneficiaries to draw advantages from multiple welfare schemes. This practice is being seen as a major factor contributing to demographic imbalance in the state.
Family registers are official documents that record vital family details, including births, deaths, and place of residence, and they form the primary basis for issuing certificates by Gram Panchayats in rural areas and municipal authorities in urban regions. Preliminary reports indicate that tampering and misuse of these family registers are not confined to rural areas but are increasingly being detected in urban localities as well.
CM Dhami has also indicated framing of a policy in this regard, following the probe. He has directed that a more detailed probe be carried out so that an effective policy can be framed on this issue. In this regard, consultations are also being held with former bureaucrats and members of social organisations.
