Many city residents are complaining that they are not receiving receipt for the holding tax deposited to personnel from Sparrow Softech Private Limited, the private firm that the Patna Municipal Corporation has roped in for property tax collection work.

Sparrow Softech employees are visiting homes since January this year. This is the first time that the property tax collection has reached doorsteps. Residents can pay by cash, debit card, credit card, RuPay cards, cheques or demand drafts in the name of the PMC commissioner.

The firm’s employees come with PoS (point of sale) machines that generate instant payment bill, and the firm’s employees are supposed to provide a detailed receipt of the deposited tax. Residents, however, claimed that they are not receiving this receipt.

“I have deposited Rs 3,300 for two years’ holding tax for my two flats but I am yet to receive my receipt. The Sparrow Softech people had come over to my place in the first week of September,” said Ajit Kumar Sinha, a resident of the Ashiana Ramnagri area under the New Capital circle of the PMC.

Pradeep Manjhi, another resident of the area, he had deposited four years’ holding tax, which amounted to around Rs 5,980, and not got a receipt, “Is the company bluffing people?” he asked. “The private firm’s employee had visited my flat to collect tax on September 1.”

Contacted, deputy municipal commissioner Vishal Anand said if residents were not getting receipt they can register their complaint on the PMC’s toll-free number 18003456644. “We will direct the private firm to ensure that people who have deposited holding tax should be provided with the receipt as soon as possible,” he added.

Sparrow Softech officials admitted that their employees were supposed to hand over the receipt of the deposited tax on the same day or a day after depositing of the tax.

“We have not received any complaint from residents,” said Rahul Sinha, marketing and sales head of Sparrow Softech. “We would be looking into this. The detail is important for us also to ensure quality service. It’s the responsibility of the tax collectors that if they receive tax from any resident they have to hand over the receipt the same day. The tax collector is supposed to visit the office, get the receipt printed and hand it over to the resident the same day. In case the tax collector does not find the resident at home, he is supposed to visit the next day to hand over receipt.”

He said residents could also get their receipts from `https://patnamunicipal.net`

“You have to provide your Process Identification (PID) number, ward number, registered mobile number and your receipt will be generated,” he added. “In case you don’t know PID number or even if your ward number, you can give your mobile number; there is a combination of details and if you fill any one your property details will be searched out automatically and you can pay your tax and even if you have paid tax to the tax collector at your doorstep you can get your receipt from the website.”