Complain about a central government office
For problems with a central government ministry, department or an office under one, such as income tax, railways, passport or a central PSU. CPGRAMS is the portal for this. For a Uttarakhand state department, use the CM Helpline 1905 instead.
Do this first
- 1
Check it is a central government office
CPGRAMS is for ministries, departments and field offices of the Central Government. For a Uttarakhand state department, board or corporation, use the CM Helpline 1905 instead.
- 2
Register and lodge your grievance
Sign up or log in on CPGRAMS, choose the ministry or department concerned, and describe your problem in full.
- 3
Keep your registration number
You'll get a unique registration number once you lodge it. Keep it. You need it to check status and to appeal.
Step by step
- 1
Register on CPGRAMS
To lodge online you need an account, so sign up with your name, mobile number and email, or log in if you already have one.
No internet? You do not have to use the website. You can post your grievance to the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances on a plain sheet of paper (there is no set format), or lodge it through your nearest Common Service Centre.
- 2
Choose the ministry or department and lodge your grievance
Pick the central government ministry, department or organisation your complaint is about. Describe what happened, when, and what you want done about it.
- 3
Wait up to 21 days for a reply
DARPG's stated timeline for a reply on CPGRAMS is 21 days. If it takes longer, you should get an interim reply explaining the delay.
- 4
Check your status
Use "View Status" on CPGRAMS with your registration number to see where your grievance stands.
- 5
No reply after 21 days? Take it to the Director of Public Grievances
Don't file it again. Take it up with the Director of Public Grievances of that ministry or department; every ministry has one, and their details are listed on CPGRAMS. They also hear grievances in person on Wednesdays.
- 6
Not satisfied? Rate it and appeal
When your grievance is closed, CPGRAMS asks you to rate how it was handled. If you say you are not satisfied, the option to file an appeal opens.
File the appeal within 30 days. It goes to the nodal officer for appeals in that ministry or department.
What happens next
Your grievance goes to the nodal officer for the ministry or department you chose.
You should get a reply, or an interim reply explaining the delay, within 21 days.
If you're not satisfied, your feedback rating on closure decides whether the appeal option opens.
Watch out
- CPGRAMS and the CM Helpline are both free. Nobody should ask you to pay to lodge or escalate a grievance.
- Filing the same grievance again does not speed things up. Use "View Status" with your existing registration number instead.
- CPGRAMS does not take every kind of complaint. It will not take a matter already before a court, a personal or family dispute, an RTI matter, or anything touching the country's borders or relations with other countries. For an RTI that has been refused or ignored, use the RTI appeal route instead, not CPGRAMS.
When an advocate can help
You can do every step above yourself. An advocate helps when things get stuck:
- A legal notice to the department, after your appeal is rejected or ignored
- Help with a court filing, when a legal notice does not get a response
Sources
- CPGRAMS: central government grievances · DARPG, Government of India
- CPGRAMS: FAQs · DARPG, Government of India
- CPGRAMS: Nodal Authority for Appeal · DARPG, Government of India
- Uttarakhand CM Helpline · Government of Uttarakhand
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This guide explains how to report a problem through official channels. It is not legal advice.