Chennai Port Trust receives notice for unpaid property tax

The revenue department of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has issued a notice to the Chennai Port Trust, a Government of India entity located at Parrys corner, for failing to pay property tax amounting to Rs 10.37 crore to the corporation. In the notice issued on Wednesday, the GCC warned the administration of the Chennai Port Trust to settle the outstanding property tax amount within the stipulated time frame, failing which legal action would be initiated against them. The notice highlights that the owner of the building, Chennai Port Trust, has not made the necessary payments towards property tax owed to the Chennai Corporation until now. The revenue department emphasized the importance of settling the property tax arrears without delay and urged the property owner to clear the outstanding sum of Rs 10.37 crore. Failure to comply with the notice would result in the GCC taking appropriate action to recover the pending property tax from the owner in accordance with Section 116-A of the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Government Bodies (Amendment) Act, 1998. According to the GCC, as of November 2023, approximately 100 property owners within the jurisdiction of the local body have yet to settle their property tax dues. In 2022, the state government implemented an increase in property tax rates for all civic bodies, including Chennai. Residents in the core areas of Chennai with a built-up area of below 600 square feet are now subject to a minimum 50 percent hike in property tax. Furthermore, property tax rates have been raised by 75 percent for residents occupying properties with built-up areas ranging from 600 square feet to 1,200 square feet, and by 100 percent for those with built-up areas between 1,201 square feet and 1,800 square feet in the capital city.