A fortnight after its launch, the BMC's new mobile payment scheme has been used by only three Mumbaikars . The service, activated on
January 1, enables citizens to pay property tax
by sending an SMS to 57575.

Senior officials said the scheme was yet to take off as no efforts were made to promote it among taxpayers. "There was no awareness plan in place. Even now, not too many people know about it,'' a senior civic official said.

TOI had reported how S J Advani, a 50-year-old businessman from Guzdar Bandh in Santa Cruz, became the first Mumbaikar to use the new mobile-based payment service on January 2.

"If people are still not aware of the scheme, then there is an urgent need to aggressively market the same,'' a civic official said.

The civic body had also initiated-as part of its e-governance plans-a citizens' portal and Itz Cash outlets to make payment easier for citizens.

An Itz Card, which acts like a pre-paid mobile card and has a fixed balance, can be used to pay property tax and water dues up to Rs 20,000.