The Hindu 31.12.2013
Anna Arivalayam property tax to be reassessed
Chennai Corporation has reportedly identified underassessment of property tax for the premises of Anna Arivalayam, the headquarters of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
As part of an initiative to reassess property tax for the buildings on the premises, revenue department officials carried out a field verification of the area of the main building, dispensary, studio and Kalaignar Arangam.
According to a report submitted by the revenue department, the property tax collected for the Anna Arivalayam main building, with an area of 40,400 sq. ft., is Rs. 82,192 for every half-year. “On verification, the actual area of the main building was found to be 93,627 sq. ft. The reassessed property tax will be Rs. 10.33 lakh for the building,” the report said.
The free dispensary and studio on the same premises had been assessed earlier by officials as having an area of 14,584 sq. ft. The property tax payable for every six months is Rs. 1.62 lakh. “However, the area of the building is 23,959 sq. ft. as against the earlier assessment order issued in 2002. The reassessment will require an increase in property tax to Rs. 2.82 lakh.”
Another building on the premises, Kalaignar Arangam, has been classified as commercial property because of permissions granted for at least 50 functions per year.
“The reassessment of the building will increase the tax to Rs. 3.40 lakh. The existing property tax collected for the building is Rs. 91,346. The calculation is based on the rental value of Rs. 1 lakh per function for Kalaignar Arangam.”
The Corporation has also asked zonal assistant revenue officers to reassess property tax for similar buildings that measure more than 10,000 sq. ft.
“At least 400 buildings in every zone are more than 10,000 sq. ft. Such buildings will be screened for reassessment,” said an official of the Corporation.
