PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ DEHRADUN
The Dehradun municipal commissioner Namami Bansal said that the initiative to send property tax bills to residents through WhatsApp instead of SMS, started in February 2025, has been successful. She said that the move worked because WhatsApp messages are more visible, easier to track and allow detailed information to be shared, whereas SMS alerts are often ignored or go unnoticed by the receiver.
In this system, property tax bills are shared directly with residents through WhatsApp along with a secure digital payment link, simplifying the process and allowing faster responses. According to the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) officials, since its rollout, the corporation has collected Rs 1.58 crore. The total annual revenue target is Rs seven crore and officials reported a 75 per cent higher response rate compared to the earlier SMS-based reminders.
They added that the entire tax payment system has been fully digitalised. Speaking on the initiative Bansal also said, “Our tax response has improved significantly and nearly 5,000 citizens are now paying directly through WhatsApp. We are confident that we will meet our revenue targets this year,” she said.
