System Goes Digital; Now Pay Holding Taxes Online from the Comfort of Home via Smart City App and Website, Citizens Relieved from Long Queues
Bhagalpur, Chief Correspondent: Under the Smart City Mission, another significant step has been taken to make municipal services in the historical city of Bhagalpur completely digital and transparent. Citizens of Bhagalpur will no longer need to endure the hassles of visiting the municipal corporation office and standing in long, winding queues to pay their property and holding taxes. Bhagalpur Smart City Limited and the Municipal Corporation administration have jointly launched an advanced online portal and mobile application, enabling residents to easily pay their taxes from home.
This digital initiative not only saves citizens precious time but also makes the corporation's revenue collection process much smoother and more transparent.
What Is the New Digital System and How Does It Benefit Citizens?
Under the traditional system, people had to wait for hours at counters to pay taxes, often leading to chaotic situations. To provide a permanent solution to this issue, the database of thousands of holding owners in the city has been integrated with the software of Bhagalpur Smart City's Command and Control Center.
The key highlights of this new system include:
Direct Link via SMS: Citizens within the municipal area whose mobile numbers are registered in official records are now receiving tax-due information directly via SMS on their phones. This message includes a secure link that, when clicked, displays the payer's complete details on screen.
Official Website and Mobile App: Residents can pay their taxes by entering their holding number or registered mobile number through the official portal (www.bhagalpursmartcity.co.in or the corporation's website), as well as the 'Bhagalpur Smart City App' available on the Google Play Store.
Secure Digital Payment Options: The portal provides robust payment facilities through UPI, net banking, credit cards, debit cards, and various digital wallets, making transactions completely secure and hassle-free.
Accurate Assessment Through GIS Mapping
To make the tax collection process completely error-free, Bhagalpur Smart City Limited is leveraging modern technology. GIS Mapping of properties across the city has been conducted through the Command and Control Center.
This prepares accurate digital data regarding the demarcation of land and buildings.
It clarifies the exact built-up area of a property and whether it is being used for residential or commercial purposes.
This technological transparency has eliminated discrepancies in tax assessment and resulted in a notable improvement in the municipal corporation's revenue.
Other Citizen Services Also Online Under E-Governance
Promoting the e-governance system, the Bhagalpur Municipal Corporation has integrated not just holding taxes but other vital public services onto the online platform:
Building Plan Approval: Applications and monitoring for building plan approvals can now be handled online from home.
Trade License: The process of obtaining a new trade license or renewing an existing one for business owners has also been digitized.
Grievance Redressal: The app features a 'Request for Service' (RFS) portal to lodge complaints related to civic issues like sanitation, broken streetlights, or waterlogging.
Appeal to Citizens for Timely Tax Payment
The municipal corporation administration has urged all esteemed citizens of the city to make maximum use of this digital facility and pay their holding taxes on time. Officials stated that funds collected through citizen taxes are directly utilized to drive development projects, construct roads, maintain street lighting, and improve cleanliness. By paying taxes on time, citizens can play a vital role in transforming Bhagalpur into a clean, beautiful, and smart city.
This digital initiative of holding tax collection via the Smart City app and website in Bhagalpur is proving to be a milestone in technologically empowering the city. Moving away from paperwork and long queues, Bhagalpur is rapidly advancing toward a modern and smart municipal administration system, providing the general public with seamless and transparent administrative services right from their homes.
