BENGALURU: The State Government has issued guidelines for registration of deaths where burial/cremation of Covid-19 victims is done on land or farms owned by the victims’ family.The State Executive Committee, under the Disaster Management Act, had issued an order on April 24, permitting cremation or burial of dead Covid-19 victims on land or farm houses owned by family members of the deceased on their request.
However, the High Court had sought clarification from the government about the cremation or burial at such places without obtaining a death certificate, after a counsel for the petitioner expressed concern, as there was no clarity in the order dated April 24.
N Manjunatha Prasad, Principal Secretary to the Revenue Department and Member Secretary, State Executive Committee, issued an order clarifying on this aspect and a copy of it was placed before the special division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar, during the hearing PILs on Covid issues.
For Covid deaths at hospitals or healthcare facilities, it was stated in the order that the medical institution or healthcare facility concerned should issue Form No.4 as prescribed in the order, along with the death report in Form No.2 to the next of kin/authorised relative. The village accountant concerned should issue cremation certificate in the prescribed format. The family members should submit Form No.4, Form No.2 and the cremation certificate to the jurisdictional registrar’s office for issuance of death certificate.
For Covid deaths at home, a private doctor is required to medically certify the cause of death and issue Form No.4A. The village accountant concerned should issue cremation certificate in the prescribed format. The family members should then submit Form No. 4A, Form No. 2 and the cremation certificate to the jurisdictional registrar’s office to obtain a death certificate.