CHENNAI: The Assembly passed as many as 19 Bills in one go on Tuesday. While 12 of them met with no objection from the members, certain reservations and suggestions were expressed by the legislators about the remaining seven Bills.
Speaking on the Tamil Nadu Mineral Bearing Land Tax Bill, 2024, AIADMK MLA Agri S S Krishnamoorthy said by levying tax on the minerals in List B, the prices of construction materials would go up drastically and this would, in turn, affect the poor and middle classes.
PMK floor leader G K Mani and CPM’s Nagai Maali also said the government should reconsider levying minerals used for construction. T Velumurugan (TVK) said taxes should be levied in a way that does not affect the poor and downtrodden people.
In response, Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan, who also holds the mines and minerals portfolio, said the government would consider the views of the members, but pointed out that royalty does not mean tax.
Referring to the Tamil Nadu Local Authorities Entertainment Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2024, G K Mani, Nagai Maali and T Velmurugan urged the government to exempt educational institutions from levying entertainment tax for their cultural events.
Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru replied that this legislation was aimed at covering concerts and other entertainment activities that take place on the roadside and other places. However, this tax would not be levied for events conducted by schools.
Expressing his views on the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Second Amendment Bill, 2024, Agri S S Krishnamoorthy said that the government should take steps for democratically electing representatives for market committees.
MRK Panneerselvam recalled how the previous AIADMK regimes had violated the rules and justified the extension of the tenure of the special officers of three market committees in Tiruchy, Cuddalore and Theni by a year.
In response to AIADMK’s R B Udhayakumar suspecting an ulterior motive regarding a provision in the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2024, to disqualify members of cooperative societies en masse, Minister for Cooperation K R Periyakaruppan said this legislation is aimed at preventing irregularities in cooperative societies and to take action against those indulging in irregularities.