Srinagar, 26 Oct: Switching from the conventional mode of rent collection, Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) has begun to collect the rentals from the tenants through online mode now, saying that the move has been taken to ease the discomfort and to save the time of shopkeepers, who don’t have come to pay monthly rentals, said an official on Wednesday
An official known to the development said that they have switched to the online mode for rent collections of the commercial properties let out by their department and that the move has been taken to minimize any discomfort and timing of the shopkeepers who had to come personally to deposit the monthly rentals.
“Every month we now send SMS alerts to our registered shopkeepers, where a detailed bill of monthly rent is sent and they can make their payments from the comforts of their homes through various utility online digital payment mode applications like Google Pay, M Pay, Paytm, etc”, the official said.
The official said that so far they have registered around 80 percent of the commercial establishments and are in process of completing the remaining commercial establishments.
“The online mode of the collection has also helped us in timely collection of rents and if anyone is not able to make the rental payment, a reminder SMS is sent to the tenant asking the individual to make the necessary payment”, the official added.
The officials of SDA familiar with the process of rent collections, he said that earlier an official had to maintain a manual register after which the official had to visit all the let-out commercial establishments asking them to pay rentals.
“The process was lengthy and used to take more time, but now with the introduction of online mode of payment, things have become easier and smoother”, the official said.
Pertinent to note that the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) has also announced that a number of online services have been launched for the benefit of the general public.
According to SDA officials familiar with the project, more online services will be launched in the coming months for the benefit of the public. This will allow people to access the services from the comfort of their own homes and avoid having to appear in person unless specifically requested or required.
Notably, the SDA’s goal is to carry out Master Plan recommendations to ensure that the city develops in a planned manner. According to the J&K Development Act of 1970, a master plan is an overarching document that covers all aspects of development, including housing, traffic and transportation, physical infrastructure like electricity, sewerage, drainage, and water supply, social infrastructure like education, health security, and religion, as well as tourism, trade and commerce, industry, commercial recreation, and others. To prevent unplanned growth, new colonies, amusement parks, recreational areas, shopping malls, and parking lots are built in accordance with the established planning standards.
