Deccan Chronicle 18.07.2009

Pay taxes via cell phone

Chennai
July 17: Chennaiites will be able to pay taxes to the corporation and clear their water and electricity bills via cell phone in a few months.

All they have to do is download free software from the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd (Elcot) website.

Making use of this, consumers can furnish their credit or debit account details and finish their payments in minutes.

Tamil Nadu is the first state in the country to implement such a scheme which will relieve people from the drudgery of waiting in serpentine queues to pay their bills. “The project will be first tried out on a pilot basis in Chennai,” said Mr Santosh Babu, managing director, Elcot, at a two-day conference on e-governance organised by Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

“We have coordinated with Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, Metro Water Board, the city corporation, banks, financial institutions and telecom service providers to make it possible for customers to pay their bills through cell phones,” he added. Elcot is also coming up with a project to offer desktop computers with all key features at rates ranging from Rs 10, 000 to Rs 12, 000. This will be boon to middle and lower income groups. The IT secretary, Mr P.W.C. Davidar, revealed that the labour department would soon launch an online portal for job seekers. He also stated that 12 government departments, including important ones such as health and revenue were already undertaking total computerisation to create paperless offices.