The Hindu 20.04.2010

Automatic payment billing machine soon

Staff Reporter

DINDIGUL: Residents and businessmen of Dindigul municipality need not wait in a serpentine queue before the municipal counters to pay taxes as the municipality will install the automatic payment billing machine shortly. The machine will accept both cash, and cheques. The machine becomes operational within a week.

Purchased at a cost of Rs.4.5 lakhs, this machine will be installed in the air-conditioned tax payment centre on the municipality campus.

The machine has a touch screen facility with display of four main heads – payment of property tax, professional tax, water tax and non tax. Persons may touch particular head for payment of particular tax. The chosen tax site will open and ask him to cue his tax number.

Again, two options will flicker on the screen on mode of payment. Tax-payers may make payment either by cash or cheque. The automated machine accepts currency notes of all denominations and Rs.5 and Rs.2 coins only. It will scan the inserted currency notes and display them on the screen. After insertion of total amount, it will produce the bill immediately. Simultaneously, total amount will also flicker on the screen.

At present, tax payers have to insert exact amount for payment of all taxes. Cheque payment is subject to realisation only. The machine has swiping facility also. Both credit and debit cards will be accepted. In case of excess payment, it will be credited in their account.

Conducting a trial run of the machine at the municipality here on Monday, the Municipal Chairman, R. Natrarajan said that the municipality will install two more machines at Rani Mangammal Colony and at Kamarajar Central bus stand in future for the convenience of tax payers. The municipality will construct a separate building for this machine.

After construction, this machine will be installed in the new building.

Municipal Commissioner R. Lakshmi said that this facility would help residents make payment even after office hours and round the clock. Already, the municipality had a touch screen facility to enable the people to know the payment details of all taxes. At present, the people had to pay all taxes manually at the counter.