Thiruvananthapuram: The Vigilance had conducted a lightning inspection at many Akshaya Centres the other day. This action was prompted by information received claiming that few Akshaya Centres running in Kerala were charging exorbitant fees for its services.
During its recent inspection of Akshaya centres throughout Kerala, the Vigilance department discovered a number of violations. It was revealed that the Information Technology Department of Kerala had been collecting fees for 24 different types of certificates issued through the e-District portal over the past two years, in direct contradiction to government orders.
For each of the numerous certificates issued on a daily basis through Akshaya centres, a fee of Rs 7 is levied. Furthermore, these centres impose an additional service charge. Multiple complaints from the public indicate that numerous Akshaya centres are charging fees that surpass the approved rates for services related to Aadhaar.
When an individual undergoes the initial Aadhaar enrollment process, no fee is required. The mandatory biometric data updates between the ages of 5-7 and 15-17, as well as the subsequent renewal of other details within this procedure, are also exempt from charges. For updates to details like name corrections, address changes, and the uploading of identity cards and address proofs, a fee of Rs 50 is levied. The fee is Rs 100 if the biometric details are updated between the ages of 7 and 14 or after the age of 17.
An order from the Programme Implementation, Evaluation and Monitoring Department, dated October 7, 2021, stipulated that fees should only be levied for certificates associated with trade and commerce, while in all other cases, fees should be waived. Despite the Civil Supplies Department discontinuing fees for various service applications such as ration card issuance, the IT Department, operating under the chief minister’s purview, continues to enforce its fee-charging practice.
Discussion about this post