The Hindu        13.11.2014 

City to get 161 tax payment centres

Come December 1, a total of 161 integrated centres where
residents can pay both property and water taxes will come up across the
city.

These centres will come up in existing division offices of the Corporation and depot offices of Metrowater.

Tie-up with bank

The
facility is the result of an agreement between the two civic agencies
and ING Vysya Bank, and is aimed at making the process easy for
citizens.

ING Vysya Bank will sponsor manpower at the
centres, which will remain open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Payment of
property tax can be made by cheque or DD.

Receipts on the spot

Officials said receipts for the payment would be provided at the centres itself.

The
existing system of property tax collection has various modes of
payment, including facilitation counters in the city’s 15 zones and at
Ripon Buildings, walk-in counters at 400 bank branches, door-to-door
collection by tax collectors and online payment.

With a target of Rs. 600 crore, the civic body may exceed its property tax collection target this year.

Councillor S.M.K. Mohammad Ali Jinnah said the new centres would help residents in areas that are not near zonal offices.

The
Corporation’s online system of property tax collection has been
disrupted a number of times because of problems in its electronic data
processing cell.

Residents will be able to pay both water and property taxes at the integrated centres that will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.