Coimbatore: Councillors question drone use for property tax assessment
ECONOMY & POLICY

Coimbatore: Councillors question drone use for property tax assessment

Several councillors expressed their concerns at the Coimbatore Corporation Council meeting regarding discrepancies in property tax assessments conducted using drones.

In response to the queries, corporation commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran explained that drones were utilised to identify residential buildings that had been converted into commercial ones, detect plan violations, and spot new buildings that had not been assessed. He added that besides drone surveys, corporation officials would physically measure these properties.

He mentioned that the measurement details would be sent to the building owners as a notice, giving them a 15-day period to respond. Prabakaran further stated that if property owners had valid objections, the existing property tax would continue to apply. However, if any violations were found, the tax would be increased. He noted that the corporation had received only a few complaints about the survey and taxation process and emphasised that accurate assessments would generate revenue for the city, which is necessary for funding many infrastructure projects.

This meeting was the first presided over by Mayor K Ranganayaki after her election on August 6, with Deputy Mayor R Vetriselvan also in attendance. During the session, 83 resolutions were presented, of which all but three were passed. Among the rejected resolutions was one proposing a fixed monthly fee for users of indoor sports courts in 17 wards, and another suggesting a revision of the building permit fee for residential buildings exceeding 3,500 sq ft to Rs 88 per sq ft.

Despite objections from the chairperson of the finance and taxation committee, V B Mubasheera, the meeting also approved 17 resolutions related to finance, revenue, and taxation.

Several councillors expressed their concerns at the Coimbatore Corporation Council meeting regarding discrepancies in property tax assessments conducted using drones. In response to the queries, corporation commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran explained that drones were utilised to identify residential buildings that had been converted into commercial ones, detect plan violations, and spot new buildings that had not been assessed. He added that besides drone surveys, corporation officials would physically measure these properties. He mentioned that the measurement details would be sent to the building owners as a notice, giving them a 15-day period to respond. Prabakaran further stated that if property owners had valid objections, the existing property tax would continue to apply. However, if any violations were found, the tax would be increased. He noted that the corporation had received only a few complaints about the survey and taxation process and emphasised that accurate assessments would generate revenue for the city, which is necessary for funding many infrastructure projects. This meeting was the first presided over by Mayor K Ranganayaki after her election on August 6, with Deputy Mayor R Vetriselvan also in attendance. During the session, 83 resolutions were presented, of which all but three were passed. Among the rejected resolutions was one proposing a fixed monthly fee for users of indoor sports courts in 17 wards, and another suggesting a revision of the building permit fee for residential buildings exceeding 3,500 sq ft to Rs 88 per sq ft. Despite objections from the chairperson of the finance and taxation committee, V B Mubasheera, the meeting also approved 17 resolutions related to finance, revenue, and taxation.

Next Story
Equipment

Handling concrete better

Efficiently handling the transportation and placement of concrete is essential to help maintain the quality of construction, meet project timelines by minimising downtimes, and reduce costs – by 5 to 15 per cent, according to Sandeep Jain, Director, Arkade Developers. CW explores what the efficient handling of concrete entails.Select wellFirst, a word on choosing the right equipment, such as a mixer with a capacity aligned to the volume required onsite, from Vaibhav Kulkarni, Concrete Expert. “An overly large mixer will increase the idle time (and cost), while one that ..

Next Story
Real Estate

Elevated floors!

Raised access flooring, also called false flooring, is a less common interiors feature than false ceilings, but it has as many uses – if not more.A raised floor is a modular panel installed above the structural floor. The space beneath the raised flooring is typically used to accommodate utilities such as electrical cables, plumbing and HVAC systems. And so, raised flooring is usually associated with buildings with heavy cabling and precise air distribution needs, such as data centres.That said, CW interacted with designers and architects and discovered that false flooring can come in handy ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

The Variation Challenge

A variation or change in scope clause is defined in construction contracts to take care of situations arising from change in the defined scope of work. Such changes may arise due to factors such as additions or deletions in the scope of work, modifications in the type, grade or specifications of materials, alterations in specifications or drawings, and acts or omissions of other contractors. Further, ineffective planning, inadequate investigations or surveys and requests from the employer or those within the project’s area of influence can contribute to changes in the scope of work. Ext..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?