Date:29/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/29/stories/2008112953420500.htm

Tamil Nadu

Tirupur Corporation defers move to increase professional tax

Staff Reporter

This follows resistance from Opposition councillors

Photo: M. Balaji

In protest: CPI councillors walk out of the Corporation Council in Tirupur on Thursday. —

Tirupur: The Corporation deferred the move to hike professional tax slabs following opposition from councillors belonging to various political parties at the council meeting held here on Thursday.

It was proposed to hike the professional tax rates in the range of 25 per cent to 35 per cent.

The major resistance came from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) councillors, who termed the move as anti-people.

“The increase is unwarranted at this stage when the garment business in the knit city is experiencing severe economic crunch,” the AIADMK councillors said.

The meeting witnessed heated exchange over the lethargic implementation of Solid Waste Management (SWM) project and erratic drinking water supply in the city, leading to walkouts by Communist Party of India and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) councillors.

The CPI councillors urged the administration to take immediate steps to strengthen garbage collection at the primary level itself.

They also pointed out that residents in many wards were still receiving drinking water only once in nine days despite their grievances were addressed to the officials concerned on many occasions.

S. Sivapalan (MDMK) criticised the administration for not properly utilising the trucks allocated under the SWM scheme to transport garbage generated in the city to the disposal yard.

P.R. Natarajan (CPI) demanded an investigation into the irregularities alleged in the distribution of salary to the members of Self-Help Groups entrusted with the collection of garbage.

Fitness certificate

Mr. Sivapalan wanted the officials to come out with a detailed explanation how fitness certificate was given to a market functioning on Uthukuli Road despite the complex did not have any proper parking lot and a compound wall.

“Since the vehicles coming to the store are parked on the roadside, traffic along Tirupur-Erode sector is getting affected and accidents are occurring at regular intervals at that spot,” he pointed out.