DMK allies walk out of Coimbatore Corporation council meeting over property tax hike

Councillors protest 100% property tax hike in Coimbatore, citing burden on public, drone survey inaccuracies, and trade license fees.

Seventeen councillors from the Indian National Congress, Communist Party of India, and Communist Party of India(Marxist)— allies of the ruling DMK, staged a protest during the Coimbatore Corporation council meeting on Friday, condemning the 100% property tax hike introduced in 2022 and the proposed 6% annual increase.

The councillors held placards with slogans opposing the tax hikes before walking out of the meeting at Victoria Town Hall.

“We opposed the 100% hike when it was introduced in 2022, but our protests were ignored. The Corporation enforced the hike, citing government orders. Now, the additional 6% annual increase has also been pushed through despite our objections. These hikes impose a severe burden on the public, and the government seems indifferent,” said V. Ramamoorthy of CPI(M).

The protesting councillors also opposed the Corporation’s use of drone surveys for property tax assessments, alleging that the technology was leading to inflated charges. They further claimed that the Corporation was overcharging for trade licence fees.

Three AIADMK councillors also staged a separate protest against the drone survey method, bringing drones as part of their demonstration. “Floor-level officials and bill collectors are misusing drone surveys for their own benefit. The Corporation’s decision to deploy drones is an unnecessary move that forces the public to pay exorbitant taxes, and the DMK government has only collected taxes while doing nothing in return,” said R. Prabhakaran of AIADMK.

Responding to the protests, Mayor R. Ranganayaki defended the tax hike, stating that the DMK government had implemented it after careful consideration of public welfare and that it did not adversely affect people.

Despite the walkout, the council passed 89 resolutions, including one to introduce entry fee for visitors to Semmozhi Poonga, which is under construction in Gandhipuram. Another resolution approved providing evening snacks for Grade XI students in Corporation schools attending special classes for board exam preparation.