Following the recent introduction of two new features in
its website, the Coimbatore Corporation has now added one more –
property tax calculation. According to Commissioner in-charge S.
Sivarasu, the new feature relates to property tax and lets the assessee
know how the civic body calculates the same.

He says
if the assessee were to click ‘Public Disclosures’ in the home page, the
server will take them to a page containing a list of options, of which
the link number 12 is ‘Know how my tax is calculated’.

A
click on the link will take the assessee or those interested to a
calculation sheet – Property Tax Calculator, which contains total
building plinth area, approved building area, unapproved building area,
if any, building location, area of building, etc.

In
all, there are 12 fields. If the assessee were to fill in all the
details, he or she will be able to understand how the civic body
calculated property tax.

Mr. Sivarasu says the move
to introduce the feature was also part of the Corporation’s efforts to
bring in a transparent administration and improve e-governance.

Only
recently did the Coimbatore Corporation introduce short message service
facility for building plan approval applicants. The Auto Development
Control Rules system will inform the applicant if his application has
been accepted or rejected and the application status, if accepted.

The
second was the move to paste quick response code on property tax
booklets for the assessee to find out the tax and also check if the
civic body has received the payment.

The third was
the plan to make available online birth and death certificates. During
the last Council meeting on January 31, Mr. Sivarasu said that from
April 1, 2013 onwards, the Corporation would make this feature
available.

That apart, the Corporation plans to make
available online the resolutions of various standing committees and
zonal meetings, official orders and also press releases.

Also
included in the same would be information on forthcoming meetings of
standing committees, zones and also that of the Council.

In addition to these, the civic body will also totally revamp the website to make it more user-friendly.

The moves come even as the Coimbatore Consumer Cause has sought changes to the Corporation website www.ccmc.gov.in

In
a letter to the Corporation, the organisation’s secretary K.
Kathirmathiyon had said that the Corporation should post acts and rules
that it followed and was governed by, all Government orders that
concerned the civic body, the agendas and minutes of Council meetings,
details of public parks, playgrounds, parking fees, including those
determined for fairs/exhibitions, details of community halls, wedding
halls along with the rent fixed, grievance redress system, etc.

Mr.
Kathirmathiyon says that the more the details, the higher the level of
transparency and by adopting the same the Corporation will be able to
set a trend in the State.