not logged in: ‘Tech-unsavvy’ municipal staff still won’t learn computers

The South Municipal Corporation has appointed 50 data entry operators after staff members in its Property Tax department refused to learn computers to carry out their day-to-day duties.

Saying they were more proficient in performing their tasks on paper, the officials showed the red flag when the corporation proposed that they should learn to operate computers. They said computers would affect their efficiency.

The civic agency was left with no option but to appoint data entry operators as property tax is filed online and it is mandatory to check every detail of the amount paid.

"Most of the taxpayers use the online payment option. Since property tax collectors and office staff rely on manual records, they do not check the online entries. They often, inadvertently, send default notices to house owners. This leads to legal problems," the corporation's Assessor and Collector B N Singh said.

"Hence, we are extra careful while dealing with property tax payments. We check the manual records maintained by the department as well as the online status," he said.

Officials tried to justify why they were opposed to learning computers. "Learning new technology and system takes time. Who will conduct the on-field operations if we spend all our time in honing our computer skills? Calculating property tax dues and other details take a lot of time. We are relieved that data entry operators are being recruited to help us," one of the officials said.

Senior officials said 10 data entry operators were being recruited for each zone, while 10 of them have been posted at the headquarters.

The department has been given specific instructions that these operators were hired to check property tax documents and online payment status.

"We have appointed 50 data entry operators to take care of the online part of the transactions. They are not be used for any other official duty," a senior official said.

... contd.

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