Mayor R.Priya and Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner J.Radhakrishnan presiding over the monthly Corporation council meeting at Ripon building on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B
The commencement of property tax assessment of buildings on unobjectionable government lands may be delayed by a month in the city as councillors sought to do away with no objection certificate (NOC) from the tahsildars.
Chennai Corporation Council on Wednesday did not pass a resolution to start property tax assessment of residential and non-residential buildings constructed in unobjectionable government land, grama natham and anadeenam lands after councillors objected to the need for residents obtaining a NOC from the tahsildar before getting the buildings assessed for property tax.
Standing Committee (Accounts) chairman K.Dhana Sekaran said the councillors objected to the need for obtaining NOC from the Revenue Department as the residents may find it difficult to get such a certificate. “Instead, we asked the Corporation officials to assess the property without the NOC,” he said.
The Corporation had previously been carrying out property tax assessment of buildings in such lands after obtaining a sworn affidavit, attested by notary public. Following the court directions, the civic body stopped property tax assessment for such buildings.
Owing to demand from residents, councillors had spoken in favour of property tax assessment for buildings on government lands, lands without patta, grama natham, natham poramboke and anadeenam lands.
Councillors T.V. Semmozhi said hundreds of original residents in areas such as Thirumangalam have demanded assessment without the NOC. In the Council meeting held in October, many of the councillors had demanded that the corporation assess tax for buildings constructed on unobjectionable lands based on which the Council had placed the resolution on Wednesday.
The Council had derived the powers to levy property tax after the notification of Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act Section 80(1). It is in this regard that the NOC was made mandatory before commencing the assessment of property tax in grama natham / natham poramboke / government land and anadheenam lands. Instructions were supposed to be given to the tahsildars in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts.