A scandal has erupted in Bihar following allegations of bribery related to the acquisition of a birth certificate. An ASHA worker is accused of demanding money from a woman for the certificate. This event took place in Dhanetha village, part of the Magheli Panchayat in the Phalka block of the Katihar district. The ASHA worker, Poonam Devi, is accused of requesting 1200 rupees from the woman.
The woman has been attempting to obtain the birth certificate for her child for four years. She stated that Poonam Devi, the ASHA worker from ward 15, demanded the money, claiming that it was necessary to pay everyone involved.
Interestingly, the woman’s delivery was managed by the same ASHA worker, Poonam Devi, four years ago. However, a birth certificate was not secured back then. The woman has been facing persistent delays and demands for money since then.
This is not the first instance of such allegations in Bihar. Previous incidents of similar nature have been reported, like the one in Chakmathura village, Dhaureya block, Banka district, where ASHA workers faced accusations of demanding large sums of money for birth certificates.