Prayagraj: In a major move to ensure transparency and curb financial irregularities, the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation has restricted cash collection of house tax to its official counters only, located at the PMC main building. Following the alleged Rs 1.44 crore scam in house tax collection, the authority withdrew the right to handle cash from outsourced employees. This decision comes amid growing demands from councilors to entrust revenue collection solely to permanent staff.Under the revised system, outsourced employees will now collect house tax using debit and credit cards or cheques. Homeowners will be encouraged to opt for digital payments, with efforts underway to minimise cash transactions. Permanent QR codes will also be installed in the offices of the Municipal Corporation and Jalkal to facilitate online payments. Chief Tax Assessment Officer PK Dwivedi emphasised the importance of this change, stating, “If the outsourced employees collect through debit-credit cards and cheques, then there will be no possibility of fraud.” The new system aims to reduce risks associated with cash handling while promoting digital transactions for greater accountability. The Municipal Corporation plans to launch an extensive awareness campaign to inform citizens about the updated procedures and encourage compliance with the secure, cashless model.