The DMK-led Coimbatore Corporation Council on Monday decided to increase property tax for buildings at its first ordinary meeting by adopting the State Government’s recommendation in toto.
While doing so the Council suspended Ward 47 Councillor R. Prabhakaran (AIADMK) for two sittings for tearing up the copy of the resolution on the tax revision.
The Council decided that the Corporation would revise tax by 25% for residential buildings measuring up to 600 sq.ft., by 50% for those between 601 sq.ft. and 1,200 sq.ft., by 75% for buildings between 1,201 sq.ft. and 1,800 and by 100% for buildings over 1,800 sq.ft
The Council decided to increase by 100% the tax for commercial buildings and by 75% for industries and self-financing schools and colleges.
The Council also increased the vacant land tax by 100% over the existing sq.ft. rate and also levy the tax on sites where the extent of vacant land was more than twice the area of the house therein.
And, it also said that there would be an annual revision of property tax and vacant land tax – the higher of 6% or the average growth in Gross State Domestic Product of the preceding five years.
While most DMK councillors supported the tax revision arguing that the State Government had done it with a heavy heart and only because the Central Government had asked it to do so, a few councillors demanded a year’s postponement or a lower percentage of hike citing the difficulty that people had faced during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
Ward 12 Councillor V. Ramamoorthy (CPI(M)) said the Council need not adopt in toto the State Government’s announcement on the quantum of hike, but decide a percentage of revision considering the local condition.
He also accused the Central Government of trampling upon the powers of the local bodies saying it was authoritarian.
Councillor Mr. Prabhakaran objected to the hike saying it would burden the people. As he started speaking opposing the hike, the DMK councillors were up on their feet arguing with him. A couple of DMK councillors tried to physically overpower him, but as other councillors intervened the situation was brought under control.
He tore away the resolution copy to register his protest and walked out shouting slogans along with fellow AIADMK councillors – C. Sharmila (Ward 38) and D. Ramesh (Ward 90).
After his exit, Ward 72 Councillor K. Selvaraj (DMK) demanded that the Council suspend Mr. Prabhakaran for two sittings and Mayor Kalpana Anandakumar readily accepted his suggestion.
