Introduced in March 2023, the E-Aasthi system aimed to prevent fraud in property transactions, but citizens in Hubballi are facing long delays and alleged bribery demands while trying to obtain certificates. Many have reported waiting for up to 8-9 months, with complaints of files being "lost" and officials demanding bribes to expedite the process.

Mayur Patil, a private employee from Suvidha Colony, Hubballi, shared his frustration after applying for an E-Aasthi certificate on March 20, 2024. "For 8 months, I was told to come back next week. Now, they say my file is lost because of a staff change. When I approached the HDMC commissioner, they told me to resubmit my application and assured me it would be issued in a day. But how can files go missing in an office?" he questioned.

Other citizens have shared similar experiences, with Sunanda Bharamagoudar, a homemaker, claiming a staff member demanded a Rs 2,000 bribe to process her application in April 2024. "When we refused, he said we would get the certificate after the Lok Sabha elections. We have still not received it," she said.

Vinayak Madiwalar, a house owner in Sattur, added that he has been visiting the HDMC Zone-12 office for six months with no success. "We had to delay our son's marriage because of the delays in the sale of our house," he said.

When contacted, HDMC Commissioner Ishwar Ullagaddi acknowledged the delays, explaining that the E-Aasthi system's integration with Kaveri software caused technical issues, leading to rejections for 70-80% of applications. "The issues have been fixed, and the procedure will be streamlined within a week. We can now issue certificates in 2-3 days," he assured.

While the system's technical glitches seem to be addressed, the persistence of bribery and administrative inefficiency continues to trouble citizens, raising concerns about the transparency and effectiveness of the E-Aasthi process.