Residents will no longer have to queue up outside offices to get their civic problems solved; they will be able to access an array of services from anywhere online.

The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Friday introduced several e-municipality services, including for property tax, birth and death registration and queries under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. To avail the services, residents can create an account on the PMC's e-municipality web page - https://nagarseva.bihar.gov.in/patna/CitizenOnlineServices.html 
Upon successful registration, they can choose the services they want to and make the corresponding payment through debit or credit cards, or online banking. Residents can expect the services delivered within 60 days from the date of online application. In case there is some problem with the application, the applicant is to be informed within 30 days. 

The online system also provides the facility of tracking the application, through which residents can know the status of their application — where it is stuck or when the work would be completed.

The e-municipality service for building plan approval is, however, still to be completely digitised. The applicant has to register on the e-municipality portal and complete a few preliminary formalities. 

Thereafter, the applicant has to submit a CD containing the map of the building along with registration number at the office concerned of the PMC. To allow sufficient time for residents to get accustomed to the online services, the PMC will continue the corresponding services offline as well till July 31. This means that people would be able to avail the services at the offices of the civic body as well as the citizen facilitation centres till July 31.

“The e-municipality services are aimed at reducing the need for residents to visit municipal offices for civic works by 
improving access to the services. The services which have been included in e-municipality at present include birth and death registration, payment of property taxes and filing application under RTI Act,” municipal commissioner Abhishek Singh told The Telegraph.

On February 24, chief minister Nitish Kumar had launched e-municipality schemes for 11 municipal corporations. 

“The schemes were required to be modified as per the prevailing scenario in each urban local body. Accordingly, we have tailored the schemes for Patna and introduced it today,” said Singh.

The services were launched on Friday in an official event at the PMC headquarters at Mauryalok Complex in the presence of mayor Afzal Imam, municipal commissioner Singh and other senior officials.

The e-municipality services will help in Patna’s bid to be part of the smart city mission of the Union urban development ministry. Patna is among the seven state capitals in the country that have been given a second chance to participate in the smart city competition; e-governance is an important parameter for assessing the competence of a city for being included in the smart list.

Municipal commissioner Singh said on Tuesday that the PMC would sign an agreement with Bhubaneswar-based firm Arkitechno Consultants for preparation of detailed project report for Patna for the smart city competition within a week. Arkitechno Consultants is an empanelled consultant of the Centre for the smart city competition and it has recently been selected by the state urban development and housing department to prepare the detailed project report for Patna.