CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted six Bills, including one to extend the planning permission from three years to five years, on Friday, the last day of the session. The House was then adjourned sine die.
Two Bills pertained to amending the Tamil Nadu Value Added Tax (VAT) Act to hike the levy on fuel and alcohol. Minister for Commercial Taxes KC Veeramani moved the Bills.
The TN Value Added Tax (Second Amendment), 2017, provides to levy additional tax with retrospective effect from April 1, 2016, on the taxable turnover of the intra-State sale of liquors of all kinds for human consumption, at a rate not exceeding five per cent. The rate of VAT would vary depending on the kind of liquor, according to the statement of objects and reasons.
Another Bill aimed at increasing VAT on petrol and diesel was opposed by the DMK. Raising objection, DMK MLA PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan said the hike would adversely affect the small farmers, fishermen, traders and the poor. Questioning the rationale behind raising tax on fuel, he said the hike would burden the people.
Moved by Minister for Housing and Urban Development, ‘Udumalai’ K Radhakrishnan, the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Act, 2017, provides for extending the period of planning permission from the current three years to five years.
The validity period was fixed as three years in 1971 when large-scale development activities were not taking place.
Factors such as the difficulties in developing Special Economic Zones, Information Technology Parks, Malls and Townships within the prescribed period of three years made the government decide to extend the planning permission period by two more years, the statement of objects and reasons said.
The Tamil Nadu Fiscal Responsibility (Amendment) Act, 2017, the Tamil Nadu Appropriation (Vote on Account) Act, 2017, and Tamil Nadu Appropriation (No. 2) Act, 2017 were also passed in the House on the final day.