Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 10 (IANS): The Congress on Monday slammed the Vijayan government for levying a fee of Rs 20 for registering a complaint with the government.

The new guideline comes at a time when the state cabinet ministers are getting ready to conduct an 'adalat' at 14 district headquarters.

According to the fresh guideline, anyone wishing to raise a complaint has to approach their nearby Akshaya Centre. For each complaint the user fee of Rs 20 has to be paid besides Rs three each per page for scanning the complaint and another Rs three for taking a print out.

Former State Minister and senior Congress legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said this move is a first of its kind in the state and "is a cruel one too".

"It's most unfortunate that people have to pay fees to register a complaint and once done, what's the guarantee that their complaint will be resolved. So this means one has to pay user fees to throw their complaint into the dustbin. This is a cruel move," said Radhakrishnan.

Incidentally, the CPI(M) had slammed the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy (2011-16) for his innovative 'mass contact programme' which won him an UN award.

Chandy travelled to all the 14 districts and patiently heard the complaints of the common man who came to meet him and left the venue only after meeting the last complainant. And, in most districts he was seen standing for more than 19 hours at a stretch.

Seeing the popularity of the programme, the CPI(M) belittled him and said he (Chandy) "is doing what a clerk at a government office can do".