Two Dhanusha men share same name, citizenship number

By Bijay Kumar Sah,Dhalekbar, July 14: A rare administrative error in Dhanusha's Bateshwar Rural Municipality has resulted in two unrelated individuals sharing the exact same name and citizenship number, creating serious complications for both.

Both individuals are named Ganesh Kumar Mahato, and their citizenship certificates bear the identical number: 14682883. However, they reside in different wards, one in Ward 1 (Sonapur) and the other in Ward 2, Dhumasan of Bateshwar Rural Municipality.

The Dhumasan resident, son of Ramkisun Mahato, received his citizenship certificate on January 27, 2000, while the Sonapur resident, son of Ramgulam Mahato, was issued his citizenship on March 13, 2001, both by the District Administration Office, Dhanusha.

The duplication came to light when the Sonapur-based Ganesh attempted to open a bank account but was denied because a pre-existing account was already linked to his name and number. 

"I was shocked to learn that another individual already had an account under my identity. Upon further inquiry, I discovered he was from Dhumasan village and shared not only my name but also my citizenship number," said Ganesh Mahato of Sonarpur village.

He added, "I have returned home after working abroad. My passport and all official documents are linked to this number. If changes are required, it will create significant complications."

The Dhumasan-based Ganesh echoed similar concerns. “The issue came to light only after recent mandates required citizenship numbers for government services and banking. Due to clerical errors, we are both suffering,” he stated.

Chief District Officer of Dhanusha, Shankar Hari Acharya, said, "We will need to examine both citizenship records before determining how this duplication occurred."