Mobile app set to ease payment of taxes for 19 municipalities

Kolkata: The state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department is introducing online tax payment through a mobile app in as many as 19 municipalities across the state. If everything goes as per plan, the system will be rolled out from April 1.

"We are introducing payment of tax through mobile app to enable a citizen to make the payment right from his home. It will be effective in 19 municipalities from April 1 and will be rolled out in phases in all the municipalities by the end of this year," state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Firhad Hakim said. There are as many as 126 municipalities across the state.

A senior official of the department said that the introduction of the online payment system will help people avoid serpentine queues in the municipalities for paying taxes.

"As people wait in the line for paying their taxes, there have been allegations of touts chipping in and fleecing people with the false promise of depositing tax for them. Strong vigil has been able to curb this practice but still there are complaints. The online system will be able to prevent this," the official said.

According to sources in the department, municipal tax can be paid through the app in municipalities like Englishbazar in Malda, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Konnagar, Champdani, Bansberia in Hooghly, Nalhati and Bolpur in Birbhum, Titagarh, Bongaon, Kanchrapara, Kamarhati in North 24-Parganas, Katwa in East Burdwan, Egra, Haldia in East Midnapore, Bankura, Chakdah in Nadia and Pujali near Budge Budge in South 24-Parganas.

Users who wish to avail this online facility, will have to download the Online Municipality Portal app from Google Play Store. There will be separate codes for each category of taxes. Payments of water tax, property tax and other taxes can be made through this app.