Property tax hike: Left plans protest

CPI state secretary R Mutharasan said the AIADMK government had not conducted the local body elections on time and running the civic bodies through officials. This had resulted in denial of Rs 3,500 crore from the Centre since it could be sanctioned only when the local bodies had elected representatives, he said. Echoing similar views, CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan said poor and middle class people would be affected by the steep increase since the rents would be hiked by the house owners. 

Already, people had been affected by price rise and rising unemployment, he said the government’s move was the result of not holding elections to civic bodies and getting the funds through elected representatives. He also demanded the withdrawal of the announcement and warned that the party would mobilise people to hold agitations against the government.