The Hindu 03.03.2010
IVRS for property tax enquiry launched
Staff Reporter
| Assessees can dial 1913 for enquiries |
— Photo: K.Pichumani 
New facility: Mayor M.Subramanian handing over a handheld tax collection device to a tax collector of Chennai Corporation on Tuesday. Commissioner of Corporation Rajesh Lakhoni is in the picture.
CHENNAI: An integrated voice response system (IVRS) for property tax enquiry and payment was launched by Chennai Corporation on Tuesday. The assessees can now dial 1913 and using credit cards pay their property tax.
Giving details of the IVRS, Mayor M. Subramanian said that the Zone number, Division (Ward) number, bill number and sub number (apartments in a complex and divided properties have sub numbers) would have to be fed into the system. Following this, the system would give details of the total amount to be paid.
After this, the IVRS would ask for the credit card number, validate the card and collect the amount. Consumers would also get a voice response that the amount has been paid. The time taken for this depends on the transaction and phone network, he explained. Within a week the receipt would be posted to the assessee.
Mr.Subramanian also handed over 300 handheld machines for use by the Corporation’s tax collectors. He urged the tax collectors to interact with the public in a proper manner. “Be polite to them. If you ask, people will pay taxes,” he said.
The Mayor said that over the past three years there had been a considerable increase in property tax collected by the civic body. This was done without increasing property rates, he added. In 2006-07 a total of Rs.231.94 crore was collected and in 2008-09 it was Rs.323.80 crore. The target this fiscal is Rs.350 crore and already Rs.301 crore had been collected.
Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni said there was a provision in the handheld devices, purchased at a cost of Rs.94 lakh, to take print outs of the transactions instantly. The machines were connected to the Corporation server and would give details of the arrears and even cheques that had dishonoured, he explained.
