The Information Technology Department of Kerala has been involved in charging fees for 24 types of certificates issued through the e-District portal, despite the government’s orders against it. For the past two years, they have been charging Rs 7 for each certificate issued daily through Akshaya centres, in addition to the service fee charged by the centres.
On October 7, 2021, the Programme Implementation, Evaluation, and Monitoring Department issued an order stating that fees should only be charged for certificates related to trade and commerce and waived for all other cases. However, the IT Department, functioning under the chief minister, continued to charge fees, contrary to the orders.
Even though the Civil Supplies Department had stopped charging fees for various applications, the IT Department persisted in its practice. During an inspection of Akshaya centres across Kerala, the Vigilance found several violations, but this particular breach of orders went unnoticed.
Complaints from the public have also indicated that many Akshaya centres are charging fees higher than the permissible rates for services related to Aadhaar. While the first-time enrollment for Aadhaar is free, the mandatory updation of biometric data between the ages of 5-7 and 15-17, along with other details, is also exempt from fees. For updating details and uploading identity cards and proof of address, the fee payable is Rs 50. If the biometric details are updated between the ages of 7 and 14 or after the age of 17, the fee is Rs 100.
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