MeeSeva centres in Telangana under scrutiny over overcharging, corruption concerns and agent nexus

MeeSeva centres in Telangana face criticism for overcharging citizens, with reports of corruption and agent exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

Set up as a one-stop solution to cut red tape and curb corruption, MeeSeva centres across Telangana were designed to bring government services closer to the people. But on the ground, a different reality is unfolding, one where citizens say they are being pushed into paying far beyond official rates, often at their most vulnerable moments.

From April 1, the Telangana government revised e-service charges at MeeSeva centres, marginally increasing fees. A birth or death certificate, category A services, now costs ₹62, up from ₹35. A caste certificate costs ₹80, up from ₹45. The increases are modest. What is not, however, is what many citizens say they are actually paying.

“People think these are small amounts, but what we are seeing is outright exploitation,” said a senior police official closely tracking the issue. For services costing a few dozen rupees, citizens are being made to pay thousands.

For Adarsh Kumar, a resident of Secunderabad, the system revealed itself at a moment of grief. A few days after his mother’s death, he went to collect her death certificate from the hospital. “A man there told me he could arrange multiple copies. I was in no state to argue,” he said. “I paid ₹5,000 for 10 copies. Only later did I realise what I had actually paid for something that costs almost nothing.”

For others, the process is slower, but just as draining. S. Girish, who had been trying to correct an error in his son’s birth certificate, recalls days of repeated visits and confusion. “I kept going back and forth. Nobody gave a clear answer. Then a broker approached me and said he would ‘handle everything’, I ended up paying over ₹5,000. I just wanted it done.”

Even those familiar with the system are not immune. A government employee who visited a MeeSeva centre for his son’s caste certificate said he was casually asked to pay extra. “They said it was for typing and service charges. I paid ₹200. You don’t argue because you need the document,” he said.