The Registrar General’s Department has said that death registration certificates will be issued for 203 individuals reported missing following the landslides and floods triggered by Cyclone Ditva.
Registrar General Shashi Devi Jaldeepan said the decision follows a special gazette issued on December 2, enabling the issuance of a death certificate if a person remains missing for two weeks after a sudden disaster with no new information.
The move is aimed at expediting government compensation for affected families. Legal provisions have been put in place, and once the Grama Niladhari confirms that a resident has gone missing due to the disaster, the District Deputy Registrar is authorized to issue the certificate.
If no objections are received, the Divisional Secretary may approve the application, which is then processed by the Regional Deputy or Assistant Registrar General.
The Registrar General further noted that death certificates have already been issued for 126 of the 611 individuals confirmed to have died in the disaster.
