Now, pay taxes at B1 Centres

Now, pay taxes at B1 Centres
Tuesday August 12 2008 04:27 IST

S Rajashekhara | ENS

Get a 30% discount on Calls to India.

BANGALORE: Are you fed up running from one office to another in the smoky and slow-moving traffic to pay your insurance premiums, taxes or even a penalty for any traffic violation? Soon it would become a thing of the past, where you are forced to stand in long queues to pay your dues. Because, these services would be made available under a single roof at BangaloreOne centres – round the clock one stop integrated service centers set up by the State government on a Private Public Partnership (PPP) basis.

For, the e-governance department is having talks with various insurance companies like the Life Insurance Corporation, Oriental Insurance Corporation of India and a number of other private insurance companies to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the B1 Centres to provide better services to the citizen.

Once they sign the pact, citizens can pay their premiums in a hassle-free manner at any of the B1 centres in Bangalore. Principal Secretary (egovernance) B L Sridhar told to this website's newspaper that they would soon launch a wide spectrum of services at the B1 centres.

"Our intention is to make these centres as friendly as possible and provide as many services as one could," he said. The department has already roped in ING Vysya Insurance, a private insurance company, he said.

Similarly, the e-governance department is also talking to tax agencies like the Income Tax, Commercial Tax, Vehicle Tax (RTO) Departments to enable citizens to provide taxes at these centres.

This apart, Sridhar said that they are also working out modalities with the City traffic police to allow payment of penalty by vehicular users (those driving and riding) for any traffic violation. Right now, if slapped a penalty, traffic offenders have to either pay the fee on the spot or visit a police station concerned or a court hall to pay the penalty.

"Roping in the traffic police with the B1 centre would automatically enable citizens to pay the penalty at their convenience at their place of choice," Sridhar said.Apart from these services, the e-governance department is also working a plan to include more services under the B1 Centres in the coming days.

NEW CENTERS

Sridher said that they would soon be rolling out at least 35 to 40 new B1 centres in the City in the next couple of months. The department has also prepared a detailed road map to introduce similar centres in Mysore, Hubli- Dharwad, Mangalore, Shimoga, Bellary, and Davanagere among other big cities in Karnataka, he added.