Chennai: Property tax rollback not effected online, say residents
TNN | Jan 9, 2020, 04.32 AM IST
CHENNAI: More than 45 days since municipal administration minister S P Velumani announced rollback of the property tax hike in urban local bodies, several Chennai residents say the civic body’s online services are still asking for the hiked rates.
A Chennai Corporation official, however, said they had rolled back the rates online too and if there was any ambiguity, residents could petition the revenue department or their respective zonal offices and get it rectified immediately.
The government had announced on November 19 that it had set up a committee to examine representations against the tax hike and that till its report came, in the old rates would prevail.
Some residents’ associations had even written to the Chennai Corporation Commissioner seeking clarity on the status of property tax.
“The inaction on the part of corporation officials causes confusion and many residents are unable or unwilling to make the payment,” said V S Jayaraman of T Nagar Residents welfare association. Jayaraman acknowledged that the property tax rates had been rolled back to 2017-18 rates in some streets.
Jayaraman pointed out that in certain cases, there had been two increases because of change in usage. A resident of Motilal street in T Nagar was surprised to learn that the civic body had hiked property tax for 2017-18 itself due to the status of his property turning ‘tenanted’.
In September 2019, the property owner wrote to the revenue officials seeking clarity and documentary evidence as he had neither let out nor leased the property to anyone. The issue is pending before the Regional Deputy Commissioner, Jayaraman said.
The tax revision came about from July 2018 without any consultation with residents. Residents were also shocked by the quantum of tax hike -- as against the promise of keeping maximum raise at 50 %, residents of some localities complained that the tax went up by 600%. Residents associations in Nanganallur (Alandur zone), for example, have decided to not pay until the old rates are put up.
TNN | Jan 9, 2020, 04.32 AM IST
CHENNAI: More than 45 days since municipal administration minister S P Velumani announced rollback of the property tax hike in urban local bodies, several Chennai residents say the civic body’s online services are still asking for the hiked rates.
A Chennai Corporation official, however, said they had rolled back the rates online too and if there was any ambiguity, residents could petition the revenue department or their respective zonal offices and get it rectified immediately.
The government had announced on November 19 that it had set up a committee to examine representations against the tax hike and that till its report came, in the old rates would prevail.
Some residents’ associations had even written to the Chennai Corporation Commissioner seeking clarity on the status of property tax.
“The inaction on the part of corporation officials causes confusion and many residents are unable or unwilling to make the payment,” said V S Jayaraman of T Nagar Residents welfare association. Jayaraman acknowledged that the property tax rates had been rolled back to 2017-18 rates in some streets.
Jayaraman pointed out that in certain cases, there had been two increases because of change in usage. A resident of Motilal street in T Nagar was surprised to learn that the civic body had hiked property tax for 2017-18 itself due to the status of his property turning ‘tenanted’.
In September 2019, the property owner wrote to the revenue officials seeking clarity and documentary evidence as he had neither let out nor leased the property to anyone. The issue is pending before the Regional Deputy Commissioner, Jayaraman said.
The tax revision came about from July 2018 without any consultation with residents. Residents were also shocked by the quantum of tax hike -- as against the promise of keeping maximum raise at 50 %, residents of some localities complained that the tax went up by 600%. Residents associations in Nanganallur (Alandur zone), for example, have decided to not pay until the old rates are put up.
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