The Times of India              04.06.2013

Taxpayers find Indore Municipal Corporation's personal touch useful

INDORE: You have been receiving SMSes reminder for DTH recharge, payment of mobile bill, credit cards and so on. Now onwards, Indoreans will get one more SMS and e-mail reminder. This digital reminder will not be from corporate company, but it come from a 'sarkari' agency.

In a move that can be called 'digital initiative' Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has started sending reminder through SMS and e-mail about payment of property and water tax. The reminder is to pay advance tax for 2013-14 and avail six% rebate on tax, if payment is made before June 30. SMS reminder also promises prizes through lucky draw for advance taxpayers. And the civic body has offered the first prize of a car.

The initiative is being received well by taxpayers, who have not expected such a gesture from any government agency, particularly from IMC. "Today our life is so busy that sometimes certain important things slip from our mind. A reminder through SMS or e-mail help in discharging certain important duties on time," said Sumit Agrawal, one of taxpayers and recipient of SMS reminder.

The move is helping IMC mop up revenue fast. Till now, around 80,000 civic tax payers have paid advance tax and the civic body is expecting that number of advance tax payers will go up to 1 lakh by the end of the month. Collection from advance tax payment has increased by nearly 25%.

IMC secretary Abhay Rajangawkar said the civic body has entered into an agreement with a company for SMS and e-mail reminder service. "From last year, we have asking our taxpayers to share their e-mail address and mobile number at the time of paying their tax. Now, we have data of around 40,000 phone numbers and nearly 15,000 e-mal addresses," Rajangaokar said, adding they are updating data to bring more and more taxpayers in the ambit of this service. The civic body has also started a system under which people register to get reminder through SMS.

Pradeep Sharma, who has received a thanks letter from the mayor, said till now private companies and agencies were treating their customers in this way to make them feel special. Now, the civic body also joined the league. "This was a pleasant surprise," said Sharma.