The Registrar General’s Department announced that the necessary legal provisions are now in place to register the deaths of individuals who died or went missing due to landslides and floods triggered by Cyclone Ditwah.
In an official statement, the department said that special measures have been introduced to allow families to legally register the deaths of missing persons. These provisions were published on December 2 in an Extraordinary Gazette under the Temporary Provisions for Registration of Deaths in National Disaster Areas and Administrative Districts.
According to the guidelines, families must submit an application with the relevant details along with an affidavit to the Grama Niladhari of the area where the missing person last resided. The Grama Niladhari will then forward the documents to the Divisional Secretary, after which the notice will be displayed for public objections for two weeks at both the Divisional Secretariat and the Grama Niladhari office.
If no objections are raised, the Divisional Secretary will submit the application to the Deputy or Assistant Registrar General authorized to approve the registration. If objections arise, an investigation will be conducted before further action is taken, the department said.
The Registrar General’s Department also noted that Divisional Secretaries have been instructed to issue certificates of absence after proper verification when requested.
Meanwhile, the National Archives Department reports that a significant number of documents have been damaged by water during the recent extreme weather.
Director General Dr. Nadeera Rupasinghe stated that the Kandy District has suffered the most damage.
