Coimbatore: Councillors question drone use for property tax assessment

16 Sep 2024 CW Team

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.

Infrastructure Transport

01 Jun 2026

MMRDA advances 250 m on Orange Gate–Marine Drive tunnel

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 250 m of underground tunnelling for the Orange Gate–Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel using India’s largest slurry shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) deployed for an urban road project.The project involves twin tunnels extending over 7 km beneath critical transport corridors, including Central Railway, Western Railway and Metro Line 3. The work requires high-precision engineering to navigate densely developed urban infrastructure.Once completed, the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Orange Gate and Marin..

Hindustan Zinc Pays Rs 188.46 Billion in FY26

Hindustan Zinc contributed Rs 188.46 billion to the public exchequer in FY 2025-26, according to its 9th Tax Transparency Report. The contribution, equivalent to 46 per cent of the company’s revenue, included direct and indirect taxes, government royalties, dividends to the Government of India, withholding taxes and other statutory levies.The company’s five-year cumulative contribution to the exchequer stood at Rs 915.72 billion. In FY26, Hindustan Zinc reported revenue of Rs 408.44 billion, EBITDA of Rs 221.62 billion and profit after tax of Rs 138.32 billion. It also achieved its highest..

World of Concrete India 2026 Opens in Mumbai

Informa Markets in India will host the 12th edition of World of Concrete India 2026 from 3–5 June 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The specialised B2B exhibition will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, developers, architects, consultants, infrastructure companies, project leaders and government stakeholders.The event is expected to feature over 350 brands and more than 18,000 trade professionals. It will cover concrete and cement, dry mortar, precast technologies, formwork, construction chemicals, industrial and commercial flooring, scaffolding, safety solutio..