Arunachal: Municipal Corporation staff caught overcharging for forms; Rs 100 charged for Rs 20 application

Officials from the Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) have been caught red-handed charging Rs 100 for application forms that should cost only Rs 20. This malpractice was uncovered by an India Today team during a ground report conducted in response to complaints from local residents.

The investigation revealed that IMC staff, responsible for issuing forms for trading licenses, birth and death certificates, were overcharging denizens by 80%. The staff were found demanding Rs 100 for a single xerox copy and a Rs 10 treasury stamp paper, instead of the approved rate of Rs 20.

An anonymous citizen reported being charged Rs 100 plus an additional Rs 10 for a stamp paper, despite the official rate being just Rs 20. In an unusual twist, the staff were accepting payments through personal QR codes when residents cited cash unavailability.

Revenue Officer Tarh Eha, upon being informed of the issue, confirmed the allegations. Eha admitted that the IMC's GPay and QR code system for online payments is still under development, which led to staff accepting money in their personal accounts. Eha also acknowledged that the staff's actions constituted a significant overcharge.

The implicated staff member, Rina Takoh, remained evasive and claimed uncertainty about the approved charges. Following the exposure, Takoh offered to refund the overcharged amount to the India Today reporter.