VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government has officially re-introduced the issuance of Residence Certificates by Tahsildars, revoking an eleven-year-old policy that had previously dispensed with the document.
According to G.O.Ms.No. 592 issued Wednesday, the government repealed G.O.Rt.No. 581 dated June 20, 2015, with immediate effect, thereby restoring the administrative authority of Tahsildars to issue validated proof of residence across the state.
The decision follows a specific representation from the Smart Village Smart Ward (SGSW) Department, which requested digitally signed, machine-readable, QR Code-enabled Residence Certificates to serve as Proof of Identity (POI) documents for Aadhaar enrolment and updation, particularly targeting Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) households.
Additionally, the state government noted that citizens face ongoing requirements for official Residence Certificates across several critical administrative and academic sectors, including employment applications, higher education admissions, and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls being conducted by the Election Commission of India.
Under the revived mechanism, citizens can apply directly to their local Tahsildar accompanied by supporting documentation.
In cases where an applicant cannot produce supporting documents, the Tahsildar has been empowered to verify and confirm residence through a local enquiry.