Date:29/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/29/stories/2008082958650200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Confusion over tax revision continues

Staff Reporter

Corporation Commissioner D.J. Dhinakaran contradicts Mayor G. Thenmozhi’s statement

— Photo: G. Moorthy

BURNING ISSUE: AIADMK councillors holding lanterns outside the Corporation council hall on Thursday.

MADURAI: Confusion over procedures to be adopted for implementing revised property tax continued with Corporation Commissioner D.J. Dhinakaran contradicting Mayor G. Thenmozhi’s statement on the issue at the council meeting here on Thursday.

In the backdrop of her announcement that all buildings in the city would be measured for fixing the revised tax at last month’s council meeting, she declared on Thursday that the process of surveying buildings was very much on.

She tried to deny All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader P. Salaimuthu’s statement that the officials had dropped the work of measuring buildings.

Mr. Salaimuthu had sought a clarification on the rate of revision for residential buildings effected by the administration even as various parties, including the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), had pitched in for a lesser rate than what was originally proposed. “Our party was against any revision at all,” he said. Ms. Thenmozhi said that the council had already decided to go ahead with 20 per cent increase.

However, intervening in the discussion, Mr. Dhinakaran clarified that a flat increase of 20 per cent on the existing property tax on residential buildings had been implemented and no officials were involved in checking the measurements of buildings.

“Wrong inputs”

To a question on “wrong inputs” given by residents on measurement of buildings in self-assessment forms, the Commissioner said that the officials would measure only those buildings where there were differences in the measurements declared by the owners and measurements (of buildings) available with Corporation database.

Later in the day, East Zone chairman V. K. Gurusamy insisted on measuring every single building in the city to augment income for the Corporation.

Mr. Gurusamy reiterated that this effort would spare the residents of paying higher tax too.

The AIADMK and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a walkout from the council meeting protesting a move to construct shops on roadsides in the East Zone.