NKDA has started holding off-site tax collection camps in big housing complexes across New Town.

Though the camps are primarily aimed to get apartment owners to complete the mutation process, the officials who attend the camp would accept property tax as well, since the payment can be made on the same eDistrict platform of the state government.

The first camp was held last Friday at Khaki Estate, the police officers’ housing complex in Action Area II. This weekend, a camp will be held at One Rajarhat, the new luxury apartment complex on the Major Arterial Road in Action Area 1 while the weekend after it would be headed for Sukhobrishti in Action Area III.

“We want to create awareness about the mutation process. Also it requires several documents to be scanned and uploaded on our website, which might be beyond the technological capability of many people. Though all of it is online, we are easing out the process by doing it at their doorstep. Those who cannot do it right away can at least come down to the camp in their complex and see how it is done,” said an NKDA official.

The authorities have learnt of professionals charging a fee to pay the mutation fee online. “This is wrong. The process is meant for the owner to make the payment himself or herself. It is his or her phone number that is registered on the site and the OTP (one-time password) would go only to him or her. So there should be no involvement of a second person. We are also open to people coming over to our office and getting it done free. One might even call us and do it based on our instructions over telephone,” said the official.

Helping people get the mutation of their property done not only helps the civic body boost its income, it also gives them an idea about the current size of the population. “This data is crucial for us in policy-making and planning for delivering services like solid waste management or water supply,” the official said.

The camps will continue till March with trade licence camps planned next in malls.