CHENNAI: THE Madras High Court has directed the Greater Chennai Corporation to seal 729 shops in Koyambedu market, which had not remitted even the old property tax, till date.
Justice N Kirubakaran, who gave the direction while passing further interim orders on a writ petition from K Kulasekaran and K Padmanabhan, shop owners at the market, also directed the police commissioner to give appropriate protection to corporation officials at the time of sealing the shops.
Originally, the duo challenged the demand of property tax in respect of their shops from 1996 to 2015 at one stretch, which ran into a huge sum. When the matter came up in November last week, the judge had directed the petitioners to deposit the demanded sum of Rs 25,883 with the Chennai Corporation.
It was brought to the notice of the court then that even though the last revision of property tax in Chennai was made during 1998-1999 till date no revision has been made. When the judge asked the reason, it was replied that though officials had given the proposal for revision to the Corporation Council, there was no positive response from it.
When the matter came up on Tuesday, it was reported that out of 2,325 shops 1,566 shops had paid property tax to the tune of Rs 2.95 crore before April 27 last and thereafter, 30 shops paid the tax amounting to Rs 13 lakh by June 29 last. Only remaining 729 shops have to pay the tax running to about Rs 2.48 crore.
The judge noted that the property tax sought to be collected from shop owners at Koyambedu is not the revised one, as the last revision took place only in 1998.
As per the City Municipal Corporation Act, the property tax has to be revised once in four years. Four revisions should have taken place after the last one in 1998. The officials and the higher ups of Chennai Corporation had deliberately failed and neglected to revise the tax for political gains. Even the non-revised tax had not been paid by 729 shop owners, the judge added.
In view of this, the authorities are directed to seal the shops for which the tax amount has not been paid, the judge said and added that appropriate police protection at the time of sealing the shops should be given by the City Police Commissioner. He also directed the Special Government Pleader S Diwakar to convey this order to the police Commissioner and posted the matter for compliance on July 20.