Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has approved the imposition of an additional fee, termed "digital cost", on top of the existing service charges for obtaining online certificates, licenses, and building permits from municipalities and panchayats. This fee will also be applicable to services that are currently offered free of charge.

The new fee structure will come into effect from April onwards and will be levied at the time of service delivery through the K-Smart application. The move comes in response to a funding shortfall affecting the Information Kerala Mission (IKM), which oversees the technical operations of K-Smart.

The decision follows recommendations submitted by both the IKM Executive Director and the Principal Director of the Local Self-Government Department. At present, IKM’s operations are funded through state budget allocations and contributions from local self-government bodies.

Currently, K-Smart operates across six corporations and 87 municipalities. As part of its expansion to three-tier panchayats, the platform has already launched pilot projects in select local bodies. The additional fee comes shortly after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented a policy document at the CPM State Conference, advocating for new revenue-generation measures through service fees.

Additional fee to be imposed
- Birth & Death Certificates: ₹5
- Marriage & Residential Certificates (except for election purposes): ₹10
- Building Age, Tax Exemption, No Tax Dues, Building Usage, Floor & Roof, Ownership Certificates: ₹10
- New License Applications & Renewal: ₹10
- Building Permit Services: ₹10
- Property Tax-related Services (excluding tax remittance): ₹10
- Other Civic Services: ₹5
No additional fee will be charged for Right to Information (RTI) applications and Below Poverty Line (BPL) certificates.