Opposition leader and DMK president M.K. Stalin on Wednesday urged Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami to clarify whether the State government has decided to hold indirect elections to the posts of Mayor of Corporations and Chairpersons of Municipalities and Town Panchayats.
Reacting to reports in a section of the media stating that the State cabinet had, on Tuesday, decided to revert to indirect elections for these posts, Mr. Stalin said that if such a decision had indeed been taken it would demolish the basic objective of the Panchayat Raj Act.
“A week ago, the Chief Minister said that direct elections would he held for these posts. Now the reports quoting the cabinet decision, say there will be indirect elections. It is for the Chief Minister to announce that no such decision has been taken in the cabinet meeting,” he said in a statement.
Reacting to another issue, Mr Stalin said the government’s decision to put on hold, the hike in property tax rates, was influenced by the impending local body polls.
“The tax was hiked between 50 and 100% and the government refused to reduce it even after protests by the public and the DMK. A case was also filed in the Madras High Court challenging the property tax hike. Now, a decision has been taken to put on hold the revised tax with an eye on the local body polls. The election has forced the government to think about the people,” he charged.
Recalling Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani’s announcement that a committee had been formed to study the property tax and the amount already collected since April, 2018 would be credited in the accounts of those who had paid the tax, he said it was highly condemnable that the government had taken a decision after 16 months.
“But the government order is silent on repaying the amount. There is also no reference to the hike in the drinking water tax from the same period. The government should return the amount by cash or cheque to those who had already paid the tax,” he demanded.
