The Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and AIADMK’s co-coordinator, Edappadi K Palaniswami, on Wednesday accused Chief Minister M.K. Stalin of going back on his electoral promise regarding the property tax hike.

Reading out the relevant portion of the DMK’s manifesto for the 2021 Assembly election, Mr. Palaniswami said the document had stated that the tax would not be hiked until the economy “completely recovers” from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides,  the DMK government had waited for the end of the urban local bodies’ (ULBs) polls and gone for the tax increase, which was a “gift” to people who had voted in the ULBs’ elections. 

Condemning Mr. Stalin’s justification during his intervention in the Assembly on the issue of property tax hike, Mr. Palaniswami said the Chief Minister, while in the Opposition, had asked once whether it was property tax or the tax to “grab property.”

 The Leader of Opposition pointed out that Mr. Stalin did not  refer to the status of the tax in Delhi, even though he had touched upon the situation in other cities such as Mumbai and Kolkata.  Not only the tax rate was low in Delhi but also some norms were being followed which included a 15% rebate for those who made prompt remittances of tax and 30% discount for properties owned by women, ex-servicemen and differently abled. 

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In a statement, Mr. Palaniswami said  the period for filing of applications online for the post of sub-inspectors would expire on Thursday (April 7).  There were reports of delay in constable-applicants getting no-objection certificates from their superiors, the last date should be extended by a week. 

In another statement, the AIADMK coordinator and Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, O. Panneerselvam, called upon the Chief Minister to lower  the per-litre prices of diesel and petrol by ₹4 [Government had earlier slashed it by ₹3] and ₹ 2 respectively towards the fulfillment of his party’s electoral assurance, besides exerting adequate pressure on the Centre for further reduction.