Thiruvananthapuram: Officials of the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) are reportedly flouting the Transport Commissioner’s directive by continuing to summon applicants to their offices for Aadhaar-linked (faceless) services.

The faceless application system, introduced to eliminate middlemen and expedite services, covers 17 types of applications, including requests for a duplicate Registration Certificate (RC). However, some MVD office heads are undermining this system by insisting that applicants appear in person, despite the process being designed to function entirely online.

Officials claim that personal appearance is necessary to verify the authenticity of applicants and prevent fraud--even in cases where the application is submitted using an OTP sent to the applicant’s Aadhaar-linked mobile number. This justification relies on outdated regulations, contradicting the central government’s push to expand the faceless system to more services.

The new digital system was implemented following a Vigilance Department investigation, which found that bribes were being paid to exempt certain applicants from in-person appearances. By removing the need for physical presence, the system aims to curb such corrupt practices.

To manage workloads more efficiently, applications from southern districts are being redistributed to other districts through dedicated software. However, confusion has arisen as some of these applications are being returned unprocessed, with officials citing the need for physical verification.

In one recent incident, an application from Kollam district that was transferred to the Idukki RTO was sent back unprocessed. The Idukki office claimed the application could not be processed without seeing the applicant in person.