A sharp surge in birth certificate approvals, up to 383 per cent, across several gram panchayats in West Bengal — particularly in districts bordering Bangladesh — has triggered political controversy and prompted an official investigation.
According to data available with the state panchayat department, institutional deliveries have significantly reduced maternal and neonatal mortality in the state, with home births now negligible. Yet, birth certificate approvals have risen at an unusual pace, most notably in Malda, Murshidabad and South 24 Parganas districts. Malda tops the list.
The surge is dramatic in Malda’s Uttar Chandipur panchayat, Manikchak block: 536 certificates in 2022, 538 in 2023, but 4,547 in 2024. Till July 15 this year, 3,240 certificates have been issued. March, 2025 saw a 273 pc jump compared to the monthly average of the last three years.
Other panchayats in the district which have recorded notable increases in the issuance of birth certificates are Bakhrabad (383 pc), Rashidabad (168 pc), Ratua (117 pc), Mashaldaha (105 pc), Gazol-I (104 pc), Kaliachak-I (91 pc) and Milki (61 pc).
According to state government’s data, in Jadupur-1 panchayat in Malda’s Englishbazar block, 25,602 certificates were approved in 2022, with an average of 711 per month until 2024. However, in March 2025 alone, the number jumped to 803, which is 13 pc increase.
Similar trends are emerging in other districts: South 24 Parganas’ Magrahat East panchayat (207 pc), Khadikamathani in Jhargram (324 pc) and Baniban in Howrah (407 pc).
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The Bharatiya Janata Party alleges the surge is linked to infiltration from Bangladesh, claiming such individuals form a vote bank for the ruling Trinamool Congress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have raised similar concerns in the past on several occasions and infiltration has been the saffron camp’s poll plank since it established deep inroads in Bengal since 2029 general elections.
The state government and TMC leaders, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, have repeatedly denied the allegations. Officials at Nabanna, the state secretariat, have ordered District Magistrates to probe the spike in registrations, with BDOs preparing detailed reports.
Malda District Magistrate Nitin Singhania confirmed the investigation but refrained from revealing details. “If any negligence is found, strict action will be taken,” he said.
The Health Department suggests that fears linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise are pushing people to digitise old records, replacing old birth certificates with digital versions. Growth in rural nursing homes, which directly issue certificates, is also cited as a factor.
Jadupur-I panchayat head Namita Chowdhury echoed this explanation saying, “People who didn’t register earlier are now coming forward due to SIR fears. That’s the only reason.”
However, sceptics point to past cases, such as Rashidabad Panchayat head Lovely Khatun, who was removed after an inquiry confirmed she had entered India from Bangladesh.
Criticising the TMC-led Bengal government and accusing Mamata of practicing politics of appeasement, BJP’s South Malda district president Ajay Gangopadhyay said, “West Bengal is a paradise for Bangladeshi infiltrators who are queuing up for birth certificates in TMC-dominated civic bodies. This surge is proof. It is most visible in minority-dominated areas.”
Congress MP Isha Khan Chowdhury warned against harassment. “Infiltrators should be identified, but not a single Indian citizen should be tortured, as we saw in Assam and Bihar,” he said.
The TMC, however, downplayed the controversy. “I believe certificates are issued transparently. I suspect this has nothing to do with infiltration. The investigation will clarify matters,” said Malda district president Abdur Rahim Bakshi.
The final word now rests with the administrative inquiry, which will determine whether the surge reflects genuine registration backlogs or something more politically charged.
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