O Pannerselvam flays CM for hiking property registration fee

“Before I could rejoice in the announcement of reduction of the guideline value, I found out that this government had increased the registration fee to 4 per cent from the existing 1 per cent. The government must have thought that the people would overlook the increase in the registration fee as they had decreased the guideline value,” said OPS in a statement here on Sunday.  

“Implementation of the revised guideline value and the increasing of registration fee by the Cabinet, are like pinching the baby and rocking the cradle too,” he said. Panneerselvam added that while the state is juggling with the issue in a confused manner, the residents in the state are clear on what is happening. 

Stating that the state government should not earn the notoriety of robbing people on the pretext of providing reprieve, OPS said that the party romped to power riding on the strength of the people-welfare measures chalked out and implemented by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa. 

“Therefore, the government should function ensuring that it doesn’t lose the goodwill earned by Jayalalithaa. We urge the government to act in such a way that it only brings laurels to Jayalalithaa’s government and should bear that in mind while taking every decision. 

We demand that the registration fee be rolled back to 1 per cent in addition to following the Central government in fixing stamp duty,” he said. On Thursday, the government announced that it was effecting a 33 per cent reduction in guideline value for registration of properties, following the cabinet nod, it came into force from Friday onwards.  

The state, in order to compensate for the possible loss of revenue, hiked the registration fees for conveyance, exchange, gift and settlement effected in favour of non-family members’ deeds from 1 per cent to 4 per cent.

Stating that even the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa had wished to set up the proposed AIIMS hospital at Madurai, former chief minister O Panneerselvam echoed the demands of the district MLAs on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters at the Madurai airport, he said that the majority of people want the AIIMS hospital to come up at Madurai to benefit all the southern districts. 

“Madurai is the second largest city in Tamil Nadu. When the Central team came for inspections in 2015, the state government recommended the city strongly for setting up the AIIMS, as the city has all the conducive facilities for the same,” he said.  

Earlier on Friday, State Revenue Minister RB Udayakumar offered to resign from his ministerial post if the proposed Central hospital was shifted out of Madurai district. On Saturday, when he restated the demand at a function, Tirupparankundram MLA AK Bose threatened that all the AIADMK MLAs from the district would also resign from their posts and also persuade the two DMK MLAs to do so. Panneerselvam too echoed his views in support of the MLAs. 

“When former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was alive it was decided to setup AIIMS at Thoppur near Madurai. Land was also allotted. But, now other places are being considered. Even Jayalalithaa had wished for AIIMS hospital at Madurai,” he noted.