The Indian Express            24.10.2013

Mobile collection vehicle turns MC staff into family counsellors

While the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has tried to be innovative
by launching mobile collection of property tax, actually the move has
turned MC employees into family counsellors who are mostly being called
by elderly people in the city.

When the MC team reaches their home, the elderly start discussing
their family problems with them. In turn the employees too try their
best to help them and give suitable advice.

Among the 17 who have called the van and paid tax is former
vice-chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University M S Aulakh, according
to MC sources.

“Most of the people just call and enquire but show no interest in
calling the vehicle and pay tax. In some cases, they call us but when
we reach there, they change their mind and say they need more time to
think,” said Harmeet Singh, an MC employee.

What has surprised MC employees is that how elderly people who
call them readily discuss their family problems with them and seek
solutions. “In most cases, we have been called by elderly above 80 years
of age. They are highly depressed because of misbehaviour by their
children and other family issues. They ask us for advice and seek
solutions. They just open up to lighten their hearts and we listen
patiently. They pay tax as well,” said Singh, adding that “we try to
give them the best advice we can”.

“They start asking us how to get their homes free from erring
sons, tenants and how their son misbehaves with them and threatens to
throw them out of home. All we can do is listen,” said another MC
employee.

The vehicle was launched on October 3 with the helpline number
97800-10452. So far, it has visited only 25 houses and collected Rs
29,000 as property tax.

The response, as per the MC, is quite low compared to what was
expected before launching the vehicle. “There is no problem with our
service but people are opting for online return filing and thus less
number of people are calling this vehicle,” said P S Ghuman, zonal
commissioner B, heading the property tax department.

Rs 3.71 crore from 4,500 payers

Property tax collection has shown a disappointing trend despite
various efforts like door-to-door collection drives in collaboration
with HDFC Bank, online return filing facility and mobile vehicle
facility. The MC has collected only Rs 3.71 crore from 4,500 payers. The
van has been called by 25 residents. Out of them, 17 have paid the tax
and collection from the van stands at Rs 29,000.

This, despite the government giving a rebate of 10% in property
tax till November 30. While earlier Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria had
said that the MC was eyeing a minimum of Rs 20 crore under rebate till
November 30, on Wednesday he denied having any such targets. “We have no
such targets as through the media we have come to know that the
government is again going to do some modification and further reduction
in property tax. So it is all a mess at present and we have not decided
on any target collection,” the mayor said.