Back in July 2022, I booked a return ticket on the Delhi-Bombay route through AirIndia. My money was debited, but I didn’t get any confirmation or even an acknowledgement email from the air carrier. And that’s when the whole process for refund started.
Did you know you have to fill out a “feedback form” in an extremely specific way that even the AirIndia customer care is not sure about and give you contradictory information? Yes, that happens. After a few frustrating days with AirIndia customer care being incredibly useless, I happened upon a new way to complain: the CPGRAMS system. I could either use the online filing at the consumer court or use this.
In this article, I’ll help you to navigate your way around the CPGRAMS portal.
- You will learn what CPGRAMS is
- You will learn what kind of complaints can be filed on CPGRAMS
- You will learn how to sign up and file a complaint on it
What Is CPGRAMS?
CPGRAM’s full form is Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System. From the website, “CPGRAMS is an online platform available to the citizens 24×7 to lodge their grievances to the public authorities on any subject related to service delivery. It is a single portal connected to all the Ministries/Departments of Government of India and States.”
Issues which are not taken up for redress:
- Subjudice cases or any matter concerning judgment given by any court.
- Personal and family disputes.
- RTI matters.
- Anything that impacts upon the territorial integrity of the country or friendly relations with other countries.
- Suggestions.
How To Access CPGRAMS?
- Head to pgportal.gov.in
- Sign up to make an account. You’ll have to provide details like your name, address, phone number and email.
- If you already have an account, just head to the CPGRAMS portal login. Fill in the captcha, and you’re in.
How To File A Complaint On CPGRAMS?
- Once you log in, on the left-hand side, you will be able to file your grievance. You have the option to ‘Lodge Public Grievance’ or ‘Lodge Pension Grievance’.
- Once you click on ‘Lodge Public Grievance’, you will have to select a Ministry/Department/State/Government under which your complaint falls. For example, for my AirIndia refund, I filed it under ‘Civil Aviation’. Say you have a PAN Card issue, you will file it under ‘Central Board of Direct Taxes’.
- Once you select this category, you will get a drop-down menu for the ‘main category’. For me, I selected ‘Airlines related’. Had I had issues with the airport, I had the option to complain about that too.
- Again, you have to select from a host of options for the following category. I selected ‘Air India’ as that was the airline I wanted a refund from.
- After that, you get yet another category which is directly related to the complaint. I selected ‘Online Booking’ and further selected ‘Air India Website Bookings/Refunds’. I had to fill in the ticket number (not issued to I wrote N/A), flight number, date, and sector booked.
- Then came the option to describe the issue in detail, do not scrimp here. Describe it coherently and not as a rant. Please use only facts and provide as much proof as you can. Describe the action you’d like to take and if you have any questions.
- Now, as the last step, you can attach any proof you might have: images or documents. And voila, submit it.
- You can check your CPGRAMS status of complaint on the portal too. They provide you with transparency in this process.
How Long Does It Take?
It depends. I got a reply within 5-6 hours. It took a little longer on the second follow-up complaint but still less than 24 hours. But it can take up to 30 days for the grievance to be redressed. If you’re not satisfied with the resolution, you can file an appeal within 30 days.
I found this system easier as a consumer; it required fewer details than the online filing system at consumer courts. And I got my money within 48 hours. So, all in all, I was happy. Next, I am going to try to get the roads next to my house fixed. Wish me luck!