Want to get your marriage registered? Shell out Rs 6,000!

This is due to the law which made registration of marriages in Uttar Pradesh mandatory with effect from 2017. In view of this Ravi decided, as a law-abiding citizen, to get his marriage registered.

To facilitate and ease the registration of marriages, an online application process was launched for the purpose. Ravi too was aware of it and so on April 2019 he visited the website through the link https://igrsup.gov.in/igrsup/defaultAction.action for the registration.

One of Ravi's friends had informed him that here he would be required to register his Aadhaar card number as well as that of his wife after which they shall receive a one-time password (OTP) over the mobile phone. Submitting the OTP so received would help generate their marriage registration certificate on the basis of the information furnished by them. The process seemed quite simple.

When Ravi visited the website and clicked for the online registration of marriage, the website responded: "This service has been temporarily withdrawn due to technical issues. Press NO in order to do office-based marriage registration."

Ravi informs Gaon Connection over the phone, "Till last year (2018) online marriage registration worked smoothly. It is only for the past few months that the online registration isn't happening. This is why mine too didn't get registered."

He added: "The reason I could understand behind the withdrawal of online facility is when I went to Gorakhpur's Registrar's Office for the marriage registration, I was asked to shell out Rs 6,000 for it. It is noteworthy that I was asked Rs 6,000 whereas the marriage registration fee is a mere Rs 50. Everyone from the lawyer and office clerks is involved in it. This may be the reason why the online registration has been closed deliberately."

So far as the marriage registration fee is concerned, as per rule, it is Rs 10 for registration within a year from marriage. For registration after a year of marriage, it becomes Rs 50 and so keeps on increasing with the delay of each year. For example, if one registers two years after marriage the fee charged will be Rs 50*2= Rs 100.

To verify Ravi's charges when Gaon Connection team visited the Registrar's Office in Lucknow indeed a lawyer did demand Rs 5,000 for registration! The lawyer justified by saying that one would clearly see the distribution of the said sum among various officials. But when inability to pay Rs 5,000 was conveyed, the same lawyer offered the registration towards the payment of Rs 3,000. He, however, told the team to bear the expense of affidavit and other paperwork separately. He also handed a long list of documents to be produced at the office during marriage registration which included wedding card, affidavit and even mark-sheets!

What do the rules say?

As per law, provisions have been made for Aadhar-based marriage registration. If both the parties' Aadhar Card has been linked with their mobile phone numbers that marriage registration certificate can be downloaded online. One need not approach the office for it. Meanwhile, online marriage registration remains a distant dream in Uttar Pradesh. One has to approach the office for it where thousands of rupees go in greasing the palms of the officials.

Calls made to the Inspector-General Stamp and Registration Department's office regarding the issue was not answered.

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