Be Smart: AMC encourages citizens to pay taxes through mobile phones

Lokmat News Network

Aurangabad, Sept 20:

The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has geared up to upgrade itself with modern technology to systemise the collection of property tax and water tax with the help of Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation Limited (ASCDCL). It is now encouraging property-holders to pay their taxes online through their mobile phones. The ultimate aim is to enhance the collection of taxes and get rid of the financial crunch.

Meanwhile, an audio clip appealing to the property-holders to cooperate with civic administration by paying their property and water taxes through their mobile phones has been forwarded to all property-holders whose mobile phones are registered with the AMC. It will also be sending an SMS by name to each property-holder on their cell phones.

The AMC collected Rs 130 crore as property tax and Rs 38 crore as water tax during 2021-22. This financial year, the AMC has geared up by setting a target collection of Rs 200 crore (as property tax) and Rs 60-70 crore (as water tax). The record of each property and water connection is being updated and digitised with the help of a private agency (Marx Co.). This is the first time, that AMC is providing a platform to pay property as well as water tax online. A single notice demanding both the taxes will be delivered at door step to each property-holders.

The ASCDCL has uploaded the mobile numbers of 1.28 lakh property-holders in the computer system and an audio-clip appealing to pay tax online has been broadcasted to them. The hi-tech experimentation of AMC has surprised the property-holders. The audio clip instructs the property-holder to pay tax online or at the nearest ward office or tax collection centre. An independent SMS by name will be sent to all registered property-holders as a reminder for payment of property and water taxes, said the deputy municipal commissioner Aparna Thete.

AMC at your doorstep

The AMC will deploy personnel from the ward office to deliver demand notes of property tax in their respective zones. They will be carrying two registers with them. The staff will have to mention whether he has issued the demand note or not and take the signature of the property-holder for authenticity. In the second register, it will be mandatory for the personnel to procure the mobile number, e-Mail ID and Aadhar Card of each property-holder.

Poor response to the amnesty scheme

The AMC has disconnected 1438 water connections, so far. Under the amnesty scheme, the AMC has legalised 270 connections. The civic administration is collecting Rs 3,000 per connection for the process of legalisation. It includes Rs 2,000 as a one-year water tax.

The AMC administration is worried as there is a poor response to this amnesty scheme. Hence the collection of current and outstanding dues was less. Hence, it now hopes that the technology-based initiatives will help boost collection in its exchequer.