Octroi nakas to get hi-tech soon
Sayli Udas
The Standing Committee of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday cleared a proposal for appointment of architects for modernisation of five of Mumbai’s main check nakas —Lala Bahadur Shastri Marg, Dahisar, Eastern Express Highway, Mumbai Panvel Highway and Mulund Airoli Link Road. A provision of Rs 12 crore has been made in the current budget for the proposal.
Along with technological improvement, the proposal also aims at enhancing the check posts aesthetically by making more space for basic amenities of food and rest rooms. Also, plans of providing medical facilities and HIV-AIDS counselling centres are in the pipeline.
The administration will get the plans and estimates of the proposal within a fortnight, following which the work will begin and be completed in a year’s time.
Congress Corporator Sameer Desai, while supporting the proposal, said that octroi is the main source of revenue of the corporation and it needed upgradation. It accounts for 60 per cent of the BMC’s revenue. However, the administration should be cautious and handle the loopholes in a better manner reduce the corrupt practices taking place at such nakas.
BMC Additional Commissioner Manu Kumar Srivastava said that the idea was to introduce latest technology at the nakas so that everything is systematic and not at the mercy of an octroi officer. This includes usage of electronic systems like scanners, digital weigh bridges and also random octroi checks.
“In the past one year, introduction of the computerised check posts and quickening the transaction time resulted in 30 per cent increase in the octroi collection. The new system will increase the vigilance and reduce corrupt practices,” said Srivastava. “And in case someone wants to pay his octroi on the web, we have enabled web-based solutions to provide this facility,” he added.
“Octroi checks are gateways to the city and the financial capital of the nation, and we have to think of the convenience of people paying octroi, thus, making these changes are necessary,” said Srivastava.
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