Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Almost 50% of the Rs 2,000 crore property tax payment is collected in the form of cash by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). Soon, this anomaly will soon be rectified as the civic body is set to launch UPI and WhatsApp-based systems for property tax and trade licence fee collections. This move is part of GHMC’s broader digital transformation to encourage cashless transactions and improve efficiency in revenue administration.

As per official sources, GHMC will soon roll out a WhatsApp-based chatbot service through which citizens can receive and pay their property tax and trade licence fees directly on their phones. The chatbot will include automated reminders, “Pay Now” buttons, and instant UPI payment links via Google Pay, PhonePe, BHIM and other platforms. Citizens will also receive bills, receipts, notices, and payment links directly on WhatsApp and can make payments through UPI, cards, net banking, or digital wallets. 

Blurb: The chatbot will include automated reminders, “Pay Now” buttons, and instant UPI payment links via Google Pay, PhonePe, BHIM and other platforms The payments will be directly credited to GHMC’s bank accounts, and an acknowledgment will be sent to the citizen’s phone instantly. Users will also be able to monitor payment status updates via WhatsApp.

To implement this system, GHMC has issued an Expression of Interest (EOI), inviting proposals from tech firms to develop and manage the chatbot platform. The system will be integrated with existing GHMC infrastructure, which already supports online payments for building permits and occupancy certificate charges through RTGS and digital gateways.

Addressing irregularities, saving costs

Officials highlighted that GHMC collects around Rs 2,000 crore annually in property tax, with more than 50% already received through digital modes. However, a portion is still collected in cash, leading to irregularities. Some tax inspectors and bill collectors were found to have withheld public funds for personal use before depositing them later, and in some cases, the funds were allegedly diverted towards land and property purchases. The new WhatsApp-UPI system is expected to eliminate such risks by reducing cash handling and ensuring direct credit to GHMC’s accounts.

Currently, GHMC sends approximately 20 lakh SMS messages annually for tax dues, OTPs, and reminders, at a cost of Rs 52 per 1,000 SMS. By shifting these communications to WhatsApp, the corporation expects to reduce these recurring costs significantly. Moreover, since payment gateways and banks retain the collected funds for up to two days and earn interest, GHMC has proposed that these service providers offer the WhatsApp chatbot services free of cost under the agreement.

With existing digital channels like Paytm, Google Pay, the GHMC website, and the MyGHMC app already in use, the addition of WhatsApp is expected to further increase compliance and improve convenience for citizens. The new system will be rolled out in a phased manner after finalising implementation partners through the EOI process.