MADURAI: High drama prevailed during the monthly council meeting of the Madurai city corporation on Tuesday as mayor Indirani Ponvasanth called in police personnel to escort out AIADMK and BJP councillors who staged a protest demanding her resignation over the property tax scam.
Before the meeting started, AIADMK and BJP councillors, who wore black dress, raised slogans demanding Indirani to take responsibility for the alleged scam and resign from her post. DMK councillors countered them with slogans alleging scams had taken place during the previous AIADMK government.
With both sides exchanging heated arguments, Indirani directed police personnel to escort the opposition councillors out of the council hall. Tuesday's was the first meeting after all five zonal chairpersons and chairpersons of two standing committees resigned in the wake of the tax fraud scandal. All the resigned members did not attend the meeting.
The mayor said, "Instead of focusing on civic issues, AIADMK councillors are unnecessarily causing a ruckus over the tax scam. The state government is already conducting an investigation."
Speaking during the meeting, deputy mayor T Nagarajan said, "During the previous AIADMK administration, several irregularities have taken place. A thorough investigation into that also." A total of 50 resolutions were tabled and passed by the mayor. One of them informed the council about the resignation of zonal chairpersons and standing committee chairpersons.
DMK councillors objected to this and said their resignations should be withheld until investigation into the case concludes. The commissioner clarified that the resolution was only for their information and not subject to approval.
Councillors raised several civic issues including the quality of food served in Amma canteens, streetlights, and garbage bins.
Background of the property tax scam
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Madurai Range DIG Dr Abhinav Kumar has been appointed to probe the alleged multi-crore property tax scam, following directions from the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.
The alleged scam surfaced after a complaint was lodged by former corporation commissioner Dinesh Kumar on September 6, 2023, based on an audit which revealed that property tax assessments for 150 buildings had been deliberately slashed between April 1, 2022 and July 31, 2024. So far, 11 people have been arrested and several contract workers placed under suspension.