The fine is to be paid to the complainant as compensation for the harassment caused him by the deficient service. The three officials have been held guilty in their personal capacity.

The officials named in the case are — Dr G C Bansal, District Registrar, Births and Deaths, Municipal Corporation, Harshvardhan, Additional District Registrar, and Dr M S Bains, Chief Registrar (B&D), General Hospital 16. They have been directed to pay the amount of compensation in equal shares along with Rs 2,100 as litigation costs to the complainant.

The complainant, Surinder, a resident of Sector 14, Panjab University, held that on February 12, 2007, he had approached the e-Sampark centre in Sector 10 to get a birth certificate. The head of the e-Sampark branch asked him to collect it a week later. When he asked for the certificate at the appointed time, he was told it had not arrived. The representative of the e-Sampark centre held that there was no delay on their part as they had sent the application to the office of District Registrar (B & D).

The District Registrar (B&D) Dr Bansal, Additional District Registrar (B&D) Harshvardhan and Dr Bains of GH-16 contented that the birth certificate could not be supplied due to incomplete information.