Remitting your property tax has just got easier: the Chennai Corporation launched a system under which payment could be made using GPRS-enabled mobile phones. Launching the service, Mayor M. Subramanian said the civic body had introduced several modes of payment to improve property tax collection. The initiatives had proved beneficial, with the collection improving from Rs.231.94 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.323.80 crore in 2008-09. The target this fiscal is Rs.375 crore. “We are confident of achieving the target… till yesterday [Tuesday] property the tax collection was Rs.117 crore,” he added.

Assessees will have to send a text message ‘ngpay’ to the number 56767. They will then receive an SMS with a link to download an application form from ngpay, the private firm that provides the payment solution. This has to be followed by a one-time registration process, submitting details such as name, address and e-mail ID. Manoj Nair, senior vice-president of ngpay, said that once the bill number assigned to the assessee is fed into the application form, the property tax details would be available. The tax could be paid using Visa or Master credit cards or Visa debit cards. HDFC Bank customers could pay by giving their account number. Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni said an SMS giving the receipt number towards the payment made would be sent to the payee immediately. A copy of the receipt would be sent by e-mail and by post.