Minister for Municipal Administration and Water Supply K.N. Nehru on Tuesday reiterated that the practice of carrying out a drone survey to increase the revenue gained through property tax in urban areas had been stopped.
During the discussion on demand for grants for his department, Mr. Nehru told the Assembly that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had ordered officials to stop the survey after Ministers flagged the issue of a steep rise in property tax for many buildings owing to the exercise.
Residents in urban areas, including the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), have already raised complaints about the property tax hike after the survey, and demanded that civic bodies stop identifying under-assessed properties. Phase 1 of the GIS and the drone survey project was initiated by the GCC under the World Bank-assisted TNSUDP at a cost of ₹6.44 crore. Nearly, 78,212 property tax assessments had been revised, generating an additional annual tax demand of ₹154 crore.
Officials, however, have not stopped the work on enhancing tax for under-assessed buildings as there was no clarity on the issue.
Citing challenging economic conditions, building-owners have urged the government to do away with the drone survey.
Published – March 26, 2025 12:39 am IST
