This girl was 'dead' for 14 years and she didn't know about it!

It is not uncommon to see errors in government certificates. But this girl had a shock of her life when she found herself dead almost 14 years ago in her birth certificate!

Shwetha Poojary (14), a student of class X at a government school at Kinnigar village of Bellur Gram Panchayat limits in Kasargod district was asked by her class teacher to verify her birth date with her birth certificate and marks card.

Later in the evening, Shwetha sought her birth certificate from her father who had kept it very safe. Next day, when Shwetha handed over the certificate to her teacher, she was shell shocked. What Shwetha had thought as her birth certificate was actually her death certificate.

Shwetha's father Ramanna Poojary had applied for his daughter's birth certificate in September 2002 at the local panchayath office. While Ramanna Poojary should have received the certificate at least in a week, it took close to five months for the authorities concerned to issue the birth certificate. Ramanna Poojary got his daughter's birth certificate in February 2003 but Ramanna reportedly did not bother to check the facts in the certificate as he was sure that there could be no wrong in the birth certificate, at least, reports Udyavani.

However, not until, Shwetha's teacher asked for it, a grand 14 years later! Shwetha's teacher who saw the birth certificate asked her whether her father had seen the certificate. For, she was surprised that how no one spotted the error in all these 14 years! The teacher has reportedly asked Shwetha's father to set right the error as it may affect Shwetha's future.

The goof-up of Bellur gram panchayat is yet another example of how the government officials work. Although they swear by the motto that 'Government's work is God's work', what they do to "please god" is for everyone to see.

• birth certificate
• kasargod