What to do, what to say, and how to escalate when an official demands money outside the official fee. Grounded in Indian administrative law, citizen charters, and documented citizen outcomes.
Never accept a verbal rejection or unrecorded delay. Section 4 of the Right to Information Act and state Citizen Charters mandate that reasons for administrative delay or file rejection be recorded in writing. When an official stalls, ask: “Please give me in writing under your seal why this valid application cannot be processed today.”
Over 20 Indian states have enacted a Right to Public Services Act (such as Sakala in Karnataka, Jan Sewa Guarantee in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and the Right to Public Services Act in Maharashtra and Punjab). Every standard service has a statutory deadline (typically 15 to 30 days). Inform the officer that exceeding this deadline triggers mandatory appellate review and departmental penalties under the Act.
Never leave a government counter without an official computerised acknowledgement number, tracking token, or a stamped, dated duplicate copy of your application. An unrecorded paper can be ignored or lost. Once an application is entered into the system, the statutory clock starts ticking and officials are accountable for file movement.
Never negotiate with touts, intermediaries, or unauthorized agents in office corridors or parking lots. They manufacture artificial friction to extract commissions. If counter staff refuse to act, do not engage an agent: walk directly to the designated Public Information Officer (PIO), Section Officer, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), or Head of Office.
Calm, firm, non-hostile phrases that signal procedural competence without triggering needless confrontation.
Scenario: The official asks for “kharcha-pani” or hints at an unspecified expedite fee.
“Sir, what is the government-notified fee for this under the rules? Please issue me the official government receipt for this amount so I can attach it to my records.”
Scenario: The official claims your documents are incomplete without giving details.
“Please mark the missing requirement on the Citizen's Charter checklist, or note the deficiency in writing on my acknowledgement copy under your signature.”
Scenario: An intermediary or tout approaches saying “Counter pe kaam nahi hoga”.
“I am submitting my application directly at the designated government counter as an Indian citizen. I do not require agent services.”
If refusal stalls your file, move methodically up the administrative ladder.
Locate the Section Officer, Tehsildar, Superintendent, or Regional Head. Present your acknowledgement receipt and state that your application meets all documented checklist requirements.
File an immediate grievance on CPGRAMS (for Central departments like Passport, Income Tax, Railways) or your State CM Helpline / Grievance Portal (e.g., Jan Samwad, Aaple Sarkar, Spandana). Include your application number and the date of submission.
File a ₹10 Right to Information (RTI) application requesting: (1) Certified copy of the daily progress and movement of File No. [X], (2) Names and designations of all officials who handled the file, and (3) Documented reasons for exceeding the Citizen's Charter delivery deadline.
Prepare a formal complaint to your state's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) or Lokayukta. Use our complaint letter generator to create a pre-filled draft routed to your state authority.
See reported bribe demands and refusal success rates before your visit.