Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai   

Adalat finds property tax anomalies

By Saptarshi Bhattacharya

Chennai MAY 3. Abdul Rehman of Mannady has appealed to the Taxation Appellate Committee (TAC) of the Chennai Corporation a couple of years ago against a steep increase in property tax after the revision in 1998. His appeal, along with thousands of others, was pending before the committee.

Last week, when the Lok Adalat set up to dispose of the appeals posted his case for hearing, a gross anomaly came to light. The total square foot area of his house was recorded wrongly in the Corporation tax records.

"I was unaware of the mistake. It was detected when the officials were going through the records. I am happy that the tax amount has come down," he said, talking to this reporter outside the Lok Adalat.

Abdul Rehman is one of many others who had gone on appeal for a reduction, not knowing what was in store.

In such cases, the reduction in the tax comes as a pleasant surprise, but not before the assessee was made to run from pillar to post. Even after the appeals are settled, the apprehensions of a sudden increase remain, as residents say they are always in the dark about the system of taxation.

Kalyanaraman of Saidapet too was relieved as he was awarded a reduction of 15 per cent by the Bench, comprising Justice Mohandas, retired Madras High Court judge, B.M. Krishnamurthy, retired revenue officer of the Corporation and Kalaiselvi, advocate. "After three years, my appeal was heard. I accepted whatever amount they fixed as I did not want to prolong the case. I occupy 600 square feet. I do not want to go through the arduous process of inspections because they may raise the tax amount".

The civic body has decided not to effect revision of property tax, which is due this year, to present a public-friendly image.

Though the present regime of the Corporation has been trying hard to project itself as public-friendly announcing various development schemes such as laying of roads and desilting of waterways, little seems to have been done on taxation system.

In a government of the people, by the people and for the people, it is the people who are being stretched beyond their limits, while the elected representatives and the officials bask under "administrative powers" showing no interest in streamlining the taxation system which has been pending for long.

"If the taxpayer has to run from pillar to post to pay his taxes, what will the quality of services be?" questions a resident of Royapettah. A victim of the system, he went on an appeal following a manifold increase in his property tax.

It was later detected that the total plinth area, which he occupied was entered wrongly in the records, another pointer to the indifferent approach of the Corporation, which is now functioning without even a full-fledged Mayor.

"The Corporation should evolve a system wherein property owners in the city are satisfied with the taxation. Paying taxes now has become painfully arduous", says Jeetendra Bhandari, a resident of Sowcarpet. Such statements clearly reflect the state of affairs, what with long serpentine queues outside the division offices, arbitrary assessing powers, confusing figures, faulty calculations, wrong entries mostly in exchange for gratification, and all other irregularities thriving in the system.

While declining comment about the anomalies, the officials said sometimes "VIPs and top government officials" approached them for considerations. "We need to oblige them. So, rules are bent or sometimes, overlooked," said an official, on condition of anonymity.

Giving reasons for the long-pending appeals, the officials said the TAC had been defunct for the past four months as its Chairman, S. Ramaswamy Pillai, a sitting judge of the Madras High Court, was on continuous leave owing to ill health. He passed away recently. For the past one year or so, he was not able to concentrate much on work. A petition was filed with the High Court, but there has been no alternate arrangement made.

Setting up of the Lok Adalat, which so far settled over 400 pending cases, has definitely helped the city property owners.

But clear steps to overhaul the Revenue Department and get rid of the anomalies by the powers concerned are yet to emerge.

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