AIADMK to protest against hike in property taxes

'The steep increase in property tax will only increase the burden of the people who have already been hit by Covid-19, inflation'

O Panneerselvam and Edappadi Palaniswami. Credit: AFP Photo

Days after the Tamil Nadu government increased property taxes up to 150 per cent for all local bodies, the principal Opposition party AIADMK has decided to hold protest meetings across the state on April 5 condemning the “arbitrary increase”.

When the AIADMK government increased property taxes in 2018, the DMK not only opposed it but also protested against the increase leading to its rollback.

The opposition accused the DMK of stopping the welfare measures launched by the erstwhile AIADMK government. The DMK dispensation had on April 1 effected a 75 per cent to 150 per cent increase in property taxes claiming that it is the first time that such an exercise is being undertaken after 24 years.

Also Read | Tamil Nadu government effects property tax revision after 24 years, AIADMK sees red

While party coordinator O Panneerselvam will lead the agitation in Chennai, his deputy and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami will preside over the protest in Tiruchirappalli. In a statement, the party said the protest is to demand immediate rollback of the steep hike in property taxes by the DMK government and to “remind” Chief Minister M K Stalin of “tall promises” that he made during the 2021 assembly election campaign.

“The steep increase in property tax will only increase the burden of the people who have already been hit by Covid-19 impact, price rise, and loss of income. This will have deeper consequences,” Panneerselvam and Palaniswami said in a joint statement. The protest will also be held in all district headquarters in the state where former ministers and district secretaries will lead the agitation.

The government said the property tax slab for core areas with a built-up area of less than 600 sq. ft will see a 50 per cent increase, while it is 25 per cent to the areas added to the corporation in 2011. The changes in houses of 600-1,200 square feet will witness an increase of 75 per cent while it is 100 per cent for houses of 1,201 to 1,800 square feet. For those above 1,800 square feet, the increase is 150 per cent.

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