Chennai’s Secretariat area has seen complaints about intermediaries allegedly cheating members of the public who come to submit petitions to the Chief Minister’s Special Cell.
Hundreds of people visit the Secretariat daily believing their grievances will be addressed through petitions. Reports say the inflow has risen over the past three months, with an average of more than 500 petitions being received each day.
Alongside this, more petition writers have begun offering help, often seated in the park opposite the Secretariat to draft applications for visitors.
Officials and the public allege that some intermediaries are exploiting the situation by posing as helpers and targeting elderly people and persons with disabilities. They reportedly claim they know officials and can submit petitions directly or “get issues resolved,” collecting between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500.
Members of the public have demanded action against those involved to prevent further exploitation of vulnerable petitioners.
