AP Government: In Andhra Pradesh, it is possible to pay property tax and water bills through WhatsApp. This new facility will be available in all panchayats from October.
The Andhra Pradesh government is preparing to launch a digital platform named ‘Manamitra’ to provide services to the people of rural areas in a more easy and transparent manner. Till now, people had to go around Meeseva Kendras and Panchayat offices to pay taxes and bills. But now, as these services can be accessed from mobile phones through the WhatsApp app, it will become a big convenience for the rural people.
If people send the message “Hi” to the ‘Manamitra’ number on their WhatsApp, they will get the necessary links to pay taxes and bills. From there, they can log in based on their password or OTP, find out their property details and dues, and make payments through debit card or UPI. As soon as the payment is completed, a receipt will be received on WhatsApp itself.
Already, about Rs.822.46 crore in property taxes are to be collected in 13,326 panchayats in the state. However, there is a delay in tax payments as many property owners reside in other states. Keeping this issue in mind, the government is promoting digital payment channels.
These WhatsApp-based services will be available in all Gram Panchayats from October 2025. This is considered a key step towards digitalization in rural governance. Citizens will now be able to pay their property bills on time from anywhere.
Officials said that this policy will help the Digital India experiment, which started in rural areas, expand on a wider scale.
Officials believe that this new system will reduce the chances of corruption. There is hope that AP government revenue will increase through digital transactions. The QR code scanning and payment system through the ‘Swarna Panchayat’ portal, which was launched last year, has already seen an improvement in tax collection.
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