Former Chief Minister and AIADMK co-coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Monday dubbed the steep increase in property tax an ill-conceived decision that would affect all sections reeling under the impact of COVID-19.
Leading a demonstration here, he said the pandemic had rendered thousands of people jobless. People were yet to recover from its impact. Instead of helping them to be back on their feet, the DMK government of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had effected a steep increase in property tax ranging from 25% to 150%. This was anti-people and anti-poor, he said.
The government was trying to hoodwink people by blaming the Central government for the increase, he said. In fact, the Centre had asked the States to revisit the property taxes by taking into account the current circumstances and did not ask them to go in for a steep increase. Moreover, the DMK, in its election manifesto, had said that if voted to power, it would not increase the property tax in view of the pandemic. But the party reneged on its promise and presented a gift to people who voted for it in the urban local bodies elections.
