KHOTANG: Ganesh Prasad Gelal of Khotang Bazaar-7 of Khotang district is 176-year-old… if you believe what is written on his citizenship certificate!

A minor error by employees of the District Administration Office has made the elderly the world’s oldest surviving person, at least in his legal identity.

Gelal even received an honour from his VDC for being the eldest citizen.

He, however, is only 76-year-old, according to his real date of birth.

The citizenship certificate issued around three decades ago shows the date of birth as 1896 BS (1839/40 AD), instead of 1996 (1939/40 AD), informed the VDC Secretary Govinda Parajuli.

Subsequently, Galal family members would be compelled to face many unnecessary questions from the concerned authorities in various occasions, he warned.

He, however, suggested the old man to apply for corrections in the paper to avoid all administrative hassles.