Poll Analysis | Marriage Registration bribery galore
‘Marriages are made in heaven’ but they can be legitimised only by the sub registrar. In India, legitimising a marriage comes at a cost! Although the registration department has stipulated a fee to register a marriage, the registration these days comes with hidden charges. Complaints on our portal I Paid a Bribe are testimony to how people pay a lot more than the actual fees required to register a marriage, failing which applicants must endure a delay in the process.
We asked our readers ‘Have you bribed a government officer from the Registration Department to get your marriage certificate?’ 55% of them admitted to have bribed a government officer to acquire the marriage certificate while 17% resisted paying one. 17% of the readers know some who had to pay a bribe while the remaining 11% were not asked to do so.
As stated on our website, a complainant paid a bribe of Rs.4700 to register his marriage under the special marriage act, after being ‘redirected’ back and forth to two different sub registrar offices for a month. http://ipaidabribe.com/bribe-central/dowry-marriage-certificate. In another case, the sub registrar refused to sign the certificate unless he was given money under the table. http://ipaidabribe.com/bribe-central/paid-bribe-registring-marriage