Avadi Municipal Corporation has started distributing QR code ID cards to residents to modernize collection of property tax and to rectify grievances in a hassle-free manner. But residents say that they were neither intimated nor educated on how to use the cards.
The plastic card has a QR code and an ID number of the property printed on it. Residents can scan the code to pay property tax, access different services and to raise a complaint about garbage, water supply and other deficiencies.
A corporation official said that they have already distributed the cards to 11,000 houses. Avadi Corporation has 87,000 assessed properties.
It is being implemented across the state as part of the government’s efforts to implement citizen services through QR codes. The Greater Chennai Corporation too announced last year that it would distribute the cards with QR codes to property tax assessees but it is yet to take off.
By scanning the code, a resident will be directed to the property tax payment gateway where they can check pending dues and make the payment. As it is difficult to make property tax payments on the Tamil Nadu Urban Pay portal for unregistered persons, many people often end up at the corporation office and wait in long queues to pay the tax, said the official. “The QR code will resolve such issues,” he added.
The QR codes will be enabled soon after all the assessees are distributed with the cards, said official.
“People who distribute the cards do not tell us about the purpose. They just say it is for the property tax payment and there is no clarity on how to use it. Also, they did not elaborate on how to report grievances using the QR code,” said Muniyandi, a resident of Pattabiram.
T Sadagopan of Tamil Nadu Progressive Consumer Centre said, Avadi Corporation is far behind Chennai when it comes to resident-friendly measures. “It has been five years since Avadi became a corporation, but it still lacks a mobile phone app. An ID card with QR codes is welcome. The corporation should not delay it further. They should explain to the public how the complaints will be redressed,” he said.
