Chennai civic body revokes increase in property taxes

The Greater Chennai Corporation has decided to suspend its plan to increase property taxes, following the strong objection it received from residents and businesses. A statement from the civic body announced this decision, stating that they had received numerous complaints requesting a reconsideration of the proposed increase. State Minister R Nirmal Kumar clarified that only a reassessment of buildings, both residential and commercial, was being conducted, and there was no hike in property taxes.

He questioned the fairness of the proposed increase, asking how it is just that someone who builds a house on a large piece of land pays only for a small portion of that land. The move aimed to correct irregularities that had occurred over the past five years during the previous government's tenure in various major corporations, including Madurai.

A longtime resident of Sholinganallur expressed his surprise, noting that the property tax had been increased from ₹4,480 to ₹11,330 for his property. Another resident from Tambaram claimed that his flat, located in a gated community, was billed at ₹26,000 per year for property tax, while his neighbor paid only ₹4,000 per year. Multiple residents complained about the sudden drastic increase in their property taxes, questioning the validity of the reason behind the hike.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) also voiced its concerns, stating that the property tax hike was a significant blow to the people of Chennai.