Single-window system to ease house tax filing in Lucknow

LUCKNOW: Soon, city residents will get some respite from the complicated house tax filing process under Lucknow Municipal Corporation for which citizens currently have to run between departments and clerks.
Mayor Sanyukta Bhatia on Wednesday ordered for a single-window system to be put into place for house tax, tax revision, mutations and other tax processes for which residents have to wade through bureaucracy. The move is expected to provide relief to over 5 lakh property/house tax payers. She also asked chief tax collection officer Ashok Singh to implement ‘one house, one bill’ for all, among other simplifications that are expected to bring about transparency in the system and cut corrupt practices in the name of ‘settlements’.

According to a statement released by LMC, the revised tax collection system through a single window online will eliminate problems faced by citizens such as multiple tax slabs applied on the same house over different periods.
Bhatia said that self-assessment forms filled in for house tax collection by residents should be verified within a stipulated period so as to remove month-long delays in the process. Reports on self-assessment forms should be compiled within three days to one week. Under the new system, officials will not be allowed to change a bill without giving a justifiable cause for doing so. The mayor had on Tuesday received a complaint whereby it was alleged that a single property was billed thrice and differently.