EPS was mute when Union govt imposed property tax hike on local bodies: K N Nehru

CHENNAI: Charging Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami with being a mute spectator when the property tax hike was imposed on states, State Municipal Administration minister K N Nehru on Thursday said that Palaniswami was staging a drama of opposing property tax hike in Tamil Nadu now for political gains, and to cover up the bickering within his party.

Lashing out at the AIADMK for organising a protest against the property tax hike proposed in the council of Tiruppur municipal corporation, Nehru said that it was amusing to see Palaniswami, who remained a mute spectator when the union government insisted on local bodies compulsorily hiking their property tax earlier, pretending to be concerned about the people now.

Arguing that central subsidies to local bodies to the tune of Rs 4,36,361 crore for the 2021-26 period would be suspended and funds for the two aforesaid scheme would also not be released if the state did not comply with the conditions of the finance commission, minister Nehru said that EPS was pally with the union government when it imposed such stringent conditions through the 15th finance commission.

EPS, who rendered the state local bodies insolvent in the corrupt AIADMK regime, is shedding crocodile tears for political gains and to cover up the bickering within his party and divert the people, Nehru added.

Citing the 15th Finance Commission report insisting that local bodies must notify their Floor Rates in 2021-22 to be eligible to avail subsidies from 2022-23 fiscal, Nehru, in a statement said that the commission imposed a condition that the local bodies must annually hike their property tax in accordance with state GSDP.

Additionally, the union government imposed the same conditions to avail the benefits of Clean India (Swachh Bharat) and Amrut 2.0 schemes.

Left with no other option, after the finance commission imposed conditions on states, Chief Minister M K Stalin issued orders to hike the property tax at a very very low rate by categorising buildings into four types, the CM said. Stating that the hike was effected in a manner it did not affect the poor and middle class people, Nehru said that the property tax was still low in Tamil Nadu compared to other states.