More than 50 gram panchayats have reportedly lost access to their registration IDs following unexpected one-time passwords (OTPs). The development comes after 498 birth certificates were allegedly generated without applications through a panchayat ID earlier this month.
The latest disruptions have been reported in the Hasanpur and Mandi Dhanaura blocks. Several panchayat secretaries said they received unexpected OTPs on their registered mobile numbers before their accounts became inaccessible.
Kamendra Singh, a panchayat secretary in Hasanpur, said he received OTPs on Saturday. When he tried to access the system, the registration IDs of Baseda Khurd, Rampur Bhur and Soharka gram panchayats showed an invalid status. He informed the Chief Medical Officer’s office about the issue.
Similarly, Rajiv Chaudhary, a panchayat secretary in Mandi Dhanaura, reported receiving OTPs on October 5, 6 and 7. After these messages, the registration IDs of 4 gram panchayats linked to the Mohanmadipur Patti cluster stopped working.
An official speaking anonymously said the IDs of around 50 gram panchayats had become invalid, even though their passwords reportedly remained unchanged. The affected secretaries could not access their accounts using their existing credentials.
Amroha has 576 gram panchayats that use registration IDs issued by the health department to record births and deaths. Officials have not yet established whether the latest disruptions resulted from hacking, a technical failure or another cause. There is also no confirmation that unauthorised certificates were issued through these affected accounts.
The incident follows a suspected breach involving the registration ID of Tofapur gram panchayat in the Joya block. Through this ID, 498 birth certificates were allegedly generated on October 6 and 7 without any applications being submitted. Of these, 270 certificates were issued in the names of individuals from Uttar Pradesh, while the remaining 228 were linked to other states or unspecified locations.
The irregularities came to light on October 12. The health department blocked the registration ID and began steps to cancel the certificates. The District Magistrate assigned the investigation to the Chief Development Officer, while the cyber cell began examining the suspected breach.
Although the latest disruptions followed the Tofapur incident, authorities have not confirmed any direct connection between the cases.
Complaints about the recent registration failures were reportedly brought to the Chief Medical Officer’s office. However, District Panchayat Raj Officer Nitin Kumar said his office had not received any written complaint from the concerned secretaries.
Authorities are yet to determine why the registration IDs became invalid or whether any unauthorised certificates were generated. The findings of the ongoing investigations will be crucial in establishing the cause of the disruptions and determining whether the incidents are connected.
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