TIRUPPUR: The Tiruppur city municipal corporation has suspended the process of re-assessing properties to revise property tax. Mayor N Dinesh Kumar made this announcement during the monthly meeting of the corporation council on Friday. He added that the annual property tax increase of 6% is common across the state and will be levied.
As soon as the meeting began, S Ravichandran, CPI councillor representing ward 29, said, “Tiruppur MP K Subbarayan, Tiruppur South MLA K Selvaraj and others submitted a petition to the chief minister demanding cancellation of the property tax hike. The state government has assured us that it will reconsider the property tax hike. Therefore, a resolution should be passed to suspend the property tax hike until the government provides a resolution.”
AIADMK councillors led by R Anbagam Thirupathi staged a walkout demanding the cancellation of the property tax hike. BJP councillor R Gunasekaran also walked out.
Mayor Dinesh Kumar gave an explanation in this regard, at the end of the meeting. “There are approximately 2.7 lakh properties under the tax ambit in Tiruppur corporation. Of those, only 4,197 properties have been re-assessed now. The owners of these properties have been paying the same tax amount for a long time. Property tax has been increased by only 1.5 % for re-assessed properties. The corporation is ready to provide clarification any time.”
“The re-assessment of properties has been suspended at the request of councillors. In addition, some guidelines in this regard will be coming from the state government soon. Until then, this situation will continue. A resolution will be passed after receiving government guidance,” the Mayor added.
Corporation commissioner S Ramamoorthy and deputy mayor R Balsubaramaniam were present during the meeting.