The Hindu : MCD steps for smooth entry into new tax regime

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 20, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

MCD steps for smooth entry into new tax regime

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MARCH 19. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has begun preparations for making a smooth transition from the old rateable system to the proposed new unit area method for assessment of house tax in the Capital from this coming April 1.

While the property tax guide book priced at Rs. 20 has already hit the market and copies have been made available at 12 Citizen Services Bureau across the Capital, the MCD began training its officials at its office in Lajpat Nagar.

These officials, senior MCD functionaries said on Friday, would form the backbone of the process of transition to the new system. They would be stationed at all the Citizen Services Bureau, where "Help Desks" are being set up.

Arguing that the entire system would be consumer-friendly, senior officials said property-owners would be given multiple options to pay their tax ranging from traditional counters at the MCD offices, the Citizens Services Bureau, to mobile vans and drop boxes kept across the city, through RWAs, non-government organisations and e-transactions through its website http://www.mcdonline.gov.in.

Stating that the requisite software with all the security provision was in advance stage of preparation, officials hoped soon people would be able to pay their house-tax through the internet from anywhere in the world. With large number of properties here owned by non-resident Indians, officials said this would be of big help to the NRIs, who so far had to depend on their relatives and friends to pay their house tax.

As for bringing all the 24 lakhs properties including 6 lakh slum clusters and houses in the resettlement colonies, under tax net, officials said the postal department today completed the task of distribution of survey forms. "So far residents have been reluctant in filling the survey forms and sending it to us. We have received only 10 per cent of the forms," the official said, adding that the MCD would soon launch an awareness campaign in this regard.

With certain political parties and local leaders publicly asking people not to deposit their house tax under the new system, officials said they have decided to adopt a multi-pronged approach to dispel the doubts of property owners. Besides the awareness campaign and opening help desks and call centres, team of trained MCD officials would be visiting one colony to other and hold house tax camps, officials said.

"The entire system would be ready in next few months and it would revolutionise the collection of house tax and become a trendsetter for the rest of the country," they said, adding: "We want a smooth transition from Inspector-Raj to a people-friendly system." Keeping this in mind, the training programme also emphasises on how to interact and respond to the queries of the property owners. "Along with the system, we also want to change the work culture of the House Tax Department," the official said.

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