Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) is preparing to engage women self-help groups (SHGs) for the collection of property tax and water dues from those who have defaulted. Out of the 20 women SHGs that expressed interest in this role, the civic body has selected eight groups. MCC has equipped these groups with the necessary training and will soon authorize them to commence tax collection.
Only those women self-help groups that are registered under the DAY-NULM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission) scheme, possessing digital literacy, computer skills, education, and relevant qualifications, were chosen and trained. MCC will allocate a 5 percent commission from the amounts collected from property tax and water cess payers to the SHGs.
The women will not only conduct door-to-door collections for water and property cess but will also assist in payments through both online and offline methods after determining the amounts owed. Among the eight SHGs selected across all 65 wards, five will be responsible for collecting property tax, while the remaining three will handle water cess.
The five SHGs designated for property tax collection are: Chamundeshwari Women SHG from Alanahalli; Daneshwari Women SHG from Vidyaranyapuram; Sharathy from Saraswathipuram; Angalaparameshwari from Janatha Colony; and Arora Women SHG from Agrahara. In contrast, the responsibility for collecting water cess has been assigned to Spoorthy Women SHG from Azeezsait Nagar, Mallige from Kuvempu Nagar, and Sanjeevini Women SHG from Rajiv Nagar.
MCC has also chosen an additional six women self-help groups in the city to manage parks, following the termination of the contract system that previously awarded maintenance contracts to contractors and agencies.
The selected groups are Annapoorneshwari, Lakshmi Saraswathi, Sammathi, Ya Abeeb, Gulshan, and Noor-like women self-help group organization members from the city. MCC will allocate between Rs 2 to 10 lakh for the maintenance of parks for each organization. In a statement to TOI, MCC deputy commissioner (revenue) Somashekhar Jigani mentioned that the MCC has engaged the services of women self-help groups to ensure a 100 percent tax collection rate, as property tax and water cess represent the two primary sources of its revenue. He added that this initiative also provides an opportunity for self-help groups to generate income.
