Property tax hike exposes 'anti-people' DMK govt, says Tiruchy AIADMK

TIRUCHY: Claiming that hiking of property tax is the last nail in the DMK government’s coffin the former AIADMK minister S Gokula Indira here on Tuesday slammed the ruling regime, saying it has completely lost its credibility.

Leading a human chain of the party cadre in Tiruchy against the DMK government demanding the withdrawal of the property tax, the AIADMK leader said that the government’s incompetence has been exposed. Members of AIADMK formed a human chain in various parts of the city including, Srirangam and Main Guard Gate to press the issue.

The former minister said that the state government had increased the property tax manifold and said that it had affected the livelihood of the common people. “Without understanding the pain of the people, the state government has increased the taxes and the DMK has lost the moral compass to run the government," she said.

The principal opposition’s human chain protest was conducted across the State in front of the Corporation, Municipalities and Town Panchayats.

Senior AIADMK leaders participated in the protest in their respective constituencies and districts to mount pressure on the TN government to roll back the revised property taxes, which they said have caused financial stress on the public.

In the 40 months of its regime, the DMK government has increased property taxes manifold, while the electricity tariff has also been increased, party spokesperson and former minister D Jayakumar said taking part in a protest in Chennai. “This government never hesitates to increase taxes to harass the people," he said.

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami had earlier stated that the DMK government is continuously burdening the middle class by hiking electricity tariff, and increasing the property and water taxes. The Greater Chennai Corporation increased the property taxes by 6% recently.

Referring to the deaths of people due to poor arrangements in Marina as one more proof of the government’s incompetence, former minister Gokula Indira in Madurai said, the government’s abject failure even to arrange drinking water exposes them further. “The solatium of Rs 5 lakh is is a pittance. While the solatium is Rs 10 lakh to those who consumed illicit liquor, these victims of poor management had been given just Rs 5 lakh," she said.

She also stated that the AIADMK is the only political party that never distinguishes the people by their caste and religion. “We consider everyone as equal and that is a concept and doctrine taught by our leaders," she added.