The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Local cess, local cess surcharge likely to go

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Monday, Feb 09, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Local cess, local cess surcharge likely to go

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Sunday said the State government was considering cancellation of local cess and local cess surcharge on land tax increased during the AIADMK regime.

In a statement here, he clarified that land tax was not increased in the two and half years rule of the DMK government.

Reacting to AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa’s demand that the State government give up the proposal to increase land tax, the Chief Minister said it was the AIADMK government that had hiked the local cess and local cess surcharge in 2002.

“In a government order, issued on August 12, 2002, the AIADMK government increased the local cess from Re. 1 to Rs. 2 and the local cess surcharge from Rs. 5 to Rs. 7,” he said.

As regards Ms Jayalalithaa’s allegation that the DMK government had cheated the poor landless farmers on the promise of two acres of land, he recalled Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin’s announcement in the Assembly that a total of 1,74,924 families had received 2,10,104 acres.

Crop insurance scheme

He said a total of 3 lakh farmers had been given Rs. 279 crore under the crop insurance scheme. It would continue in the coming years.

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