New Delhi: Chennai Municipal Corporation has launched an integrated voice response system (IVRS) for property tax inquiry, payments and complaints. The assesses can now dial 1913 and using credit cards pay their property tax.

“Through this IVRS facility complaints can  be made about street lights, garbage and all the other civic amenities related issues,” Chennai Municipal corporation Public Relations Officer Selviraj said.

He added that people can even lodge complaints through SMS by sending it on 9789951111 and they would be provided with a reference number for monitoring the progress of their complaint.

 
Giving further details of the IVRS, he said that the Zone number, Division (Ward) number, bill number and sub number (apartments in a complex and divided properties have sub numbers) would have to be fed into the system. Following this, the system would give details of the total amount to be paid.

After this, the IVRS would ask for the credit card number, validate the card and collect the amount. Consumers would also get a voice response that the amount has been paid. The time taken for this depends on the transaction and phone network, he explained. Within a week the receipt would be posted to the assesses.

Selviraj said that Chennai Mayor has also handed over 300 handheld machines for use by the Corporation’s tax collectors for the purpose of collecting taxes recently and he had urged the tax collectors to interact with the public in a proper manner.

He said during the last three years there had been a considerable increase in property tax collected by the civic body. This was done without increasing property rates, he added. In 2006-07 a total of Rs 231.94 crore was collected and in 2008-09 it was Rs 323.80 crore. The target this fiscal is Rs 300 crore and already Rs 301 crore has been collected.