BMC tax payment portal gives users headache
DNA Correspondent
February 4, 9:08 IST
http://www.dnaindia.com/mobile/report.php?n=1795907
Mumbai: The civic body’s online tax payment portal that it announced last year does not seem to be working, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) now saying that they are working on a new software to enable easier payments.
While the corporation introduced the online services to pay property and water tax bills, it is unable to to fix the technical glitches that citizens have been facing.
The BMC has started sending out the new property tax bills to citizens, asking them to make the payments before March 31. “You can now see long queues outside each BMC ward office because of this. I have been trying to use the online service for the last 10 days, but keeps showing ‘internal service error,’” a citizen said, adding that his complaint to the civic body five days ago has yet to see any action.
Other residents from Bandra and Khar also complained about the portal not being user-friendly. “The BMC is going high-tech by starting such online services, but the portal does not work most of the times and shows a server error. If the body is not able to provide the services effectively, why start such services in the first place?” an activist from Khar (W), Daphne Warapen asked.
Warapen added that she faces the problem even while trying to lodge complaints. “The online service is just an eyewash. At a time when the BMC is hiking various taxes, including the property tax, we are not getting anything in return,” she said.
The civic administration, however, said it is in the process of developing a new software for the new property tax system. “To pay the new property tax bills online, a new software application is being developed. Trials of the new software are being carried out and will be uploaded on the portal after we get satisfactory results,” additional municipal commissioner Rajiv Jalota said.
He is in charge of property tax in the civic body.
Citizens up ante over ‘irrational’ property tax
Terming the new property tax system irrational, citizens are planning to take to the streets to protest against the BMC implementation of the new property tax system. An activist from Khar (W), Daphne Warapen said, “We are planning to take our protest to the streets now. Area-wise groups will be formed to protest at local ward offices.”
Around 300 citizens from the city and its suburbs gathered at Khar (W) on Sunday to discuss their issues with the new property tax system. “Property tax is not levied on a majority of the slums; only the middle class is burdened with it,” said Godfrey Pimenta, who addressed the gathering.