Grievance redressal for the citizens of India
शिकायत अनसुनी की जा सकती है, दर्ज मामला नहीं।
The Citizen Grievance Bureau registers complaints against banks, card issuers, lenders, insurers and public offices, issues formal representations under the citizen's written authority, and pursues each matter through the escalation the governing rules prescribe, up to the regulator. No fee is payable at any stage.
⑈CGB⑈ 2026 00042 ⑆RJ⑆ L2Banking, credit card, lending, settlement, insurance and public office matters. Each grievance is registered under a category code that fixes the respondent's obligations and the forum before which the matter is finally placed.
B-1Calls outside permitted hours, threats, abusive language, or approaches to family, employers and neighbours.4
Final forum: RBI OmbudsmanB-2Seizure without due notice, no inventory issued, or an asset taken into custody and released without account.
Final forum: RBI OmbudsmanB-3Paid dues still reported, settled accounts shown as default, or loans that never belonged to the citizen.5
Final forum: RBI OmbudsmanB-4Penal interest, undisclosed fees, wrongful EMI debits and refunds withheld beyond their due date.
Final forum: RBI OmbudsmanB-5No-dues certificates withheld, original title papers not returned, hypothecation not removed from the registration certificate.15
Final forum: RBI OmbudsmanB-6Refusal to provide account statements, the loan agreement, or the repossession record to borrowers and co-borrowers.6
Final forum: RBI OmbudsmanC-1Billing errors, charges never agreed, disputed transactions not reversed, and closure requests not honoured within the prescribed period.12
Final forum: RBI OmbudsmanS-1Settlement letters and title documents withheld after payment, agreed terms departed from, or credit reports not updated after settlement.15
Final forum: RBI OmbudsmanD-1Fraudulent debits, failed UPI, ATM and card transactions not reversed, and compensation for delay withheld.1314
Final forum: RBI OmbudsmanA-1Accounts frozen without notice, deposits not repaid on maturity, and claims on a deceased depositor's account left unsettled.
Final forum: RBI OmbudsmanI-1Health, vehicle, crop and life claims rejected without reasons, or left pending beyond the prescribed period.8
Final forum: Insurance OmbudsmanG-1Pensions, certificates, subsidies, refunds and applications held without decision in central or state offices.7
Final forum: CPGRAMS or State portalFive stages, each with its own instrument. Nothing issues to an institution before Stage II, and the citizen may withdraw at any stage.
The citizen submits the particulars of the grievance with supporting documents. A Registry Number is allotted and acknowledged within one working day, and the Case Registry explains the documents to the citizen in Hindi, English or any other language the citizen prefers.
The citizen executes a Letter of Authority confined to the registered matter. It permits the Bureau to correspond with the institution and receive its replies, and it may be revoked in writing at any time.
A formal representation issues from the Bureau's case desk to the institution's designated grievance officer, quoting the Registry Number and the provisions engaged, with the citizen in copy.
On lapse of the prescribed period, or on a reply without reasons, an Escalation Memorandum issues to the next designated authority with the complete record annexed: the Nodal Officer, the Principal Nodal Officer, and then the regulator.3
The matter closes on a reasoned resolution accepted by the citizen, or on the decision of the Ombudsman or competent forum. Closure is entered in the registry and the citizen's documents are erased.10
The order in which a grievance moves, the authority answerable at each level, and when the Bureau moves it up.
| Level | Authority answerable | Bureau escalates when |
|---|
Periods are indicative. The institution's published grievance policy and the governing rules prevail.3
Obligations already binding on institutions. The Bureau cites them by name in its representations.
| Subject | What the provision secures | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery conduct | Contact only between 8:00 am and 7:00 pm. No intimidation, no public humiliation, no approach to third parties to shame the borrower. | RBI directions on recovery agents4 |
| Credit information | Correction of wrong entries, with compensation of ₹100 per day once a complaint passes 30 days unresolved. | RBI credit information directions5 |
| Credit card closure | Closure within 7 working days of the request, failing which ₹500 per day is payable to the cardholder. | RBI credit and debit card directions12 |
| Failed transactions | Reversal of amounts debited in failed ATM, card and UPI transactions within the prescribed time, failing which ₹100 per day is payable. | RBI turnaround time framework13 |
| Unauthorised transactions | Zero liability for the customer where a third-party breach is reported within three working days. | RBI customer protection directions14 |
| Title documents | Return of original property documents within 30 days of repayment or settlement, failing which ₹5,000 per day is payable. | RBI responsible lending conduct directions15 |
| Loan documents | A copy of the loan agreement and all enclosures, furnished to the borrower. | RBI Fair Practices Code6 |
| Ombudsman access | A complaint to the RBI Ombudsman at no cost after 30 days, a rejection, or an unsatisfactory reply. | RB Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 20213 |
| Public grievances | Disposal of a grievance against a central government office within 21 days. | DARPG guidelines for CPGRAMS7 |
| Insurance | Recourse to the Insurance Ombudsman after a rejection or 30 days without resolution. | Insurance Ombudsman Rules, 20178 |
| Legal aid | Free legal services and Lok Adalat settlement for eligible persons. | Legal Services Authorities Act, 19879 |
Issued once, applicable to every respondent. It accompanies the Bureau's first representation in each matter.
To the banks, non-banking financial companies, insurers and public offices receiving correspondence from this Bureau:
Form CGB-1 may be submitted online. The particulars reach the Case Registry by email, and a Registry Number is issued in reply to the address from which they are sent.