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Time of India
22-07-2025
- Time of India
Suspended bill collectors seek detailed probe
Madurai: Following the suspension of six bill collectors in connection with the alleged tampering of property tax data in the Urban Tree Information System (UTIS), the suspended employees have demanded a broader investigation. They allege that changes made in UTIS could not have occurred without the knowledge and approval of higher authorities. One of the suspended bill collectors, Ranjith Selvakumar, told TOI that changes in tax records uploaded by bill collectors cannot be executed independently. "The entries we make must be approved by the assistant revenue officer and assistant commissioner. For high-value properties over 3,000 square metres, approvals must come from the assistant commissioner (revenue), deputy commissioner, and in some cases, the corporation commissioner," he said. He also claimed that during an earlier inquiry, when their suspension was revoked by then commissioner C Dinesh Kumar, it was proved that passwords were leaked by temporary staff appointed on a consolidated pay basis. Madurai Corporation All Employees Association president K Munisamy said the bill collectors were being unfairly blamed. "They are at the bottom of the revenue hierarchy. Their passwords were misused. All those responsible, including higher officials, must be investigated," he said. The scam came to light last year when an audit found that property tax for at least 150 buildings was reduced without due process, causing a revenue loss of several lakhs of rupees. Eight people, including data entry operators, have been arrested so far. On July 17, the Madurai bench of Madras high court ordered the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT), headed by an IPS officer, to probe the scam.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Form special team to probe property scam in Madurai: HC
Madurai: Madras high court on Thursday directed the inspector general of police (south zone) and the Madurai city commissioner of police to constitute a special investigation team headed by a senior IPS officer with proven integrity to probe the property tax scam in Madurai corporation and submit a report before the court. A division bench of justice S M Subramaniam and justice A D Maria Clete observed that the petitioner, T Ravi, AIADMK councillor of ward 83 of Madurai corporation, had contended it was a huge scam and there was a delay in even registering the FIR, which raises doubt about the fairness of the investigation since political people are involved. Taking note of the fact that, as per instructions of chief minister M K Stalin, five zonal chairpersons and two committee chairpersons have resigned from their posts, the judges observed that it shows the govt itself has taken steps to uncover the truth and prosecute the people involved in the crime. "However, a scam of this magnitude must be investigated by an IPS officer, which should be monitored by higher authorities to ensure there are no lapses and no higher-level persons are left out from the ambit of prosecution. All responsible and accountable for causing a huge loss to the corporation should be prosecuted," the judges observed and directed the authorities to constitute a special investigating team to probe the case to ensure a free and fair investigation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 3BHK Transformation Possible for ₹4.5 Lakh? HomeLane Get Quote Undo Ravi filed a public interest litigation, in which he stated that a huge scam in the assessment of property tax in the corporation came to light in 2024. He alleged that several corporation officials, in connivance with the zonal chairpersons, were involved in the scam. He also alleged that the property tax scam resulted in a loss of more than 200 crore in revenue to the corporation. He stated that the scam was committed by manipulating property tax assessments in the Urban Tree Information System (UTIS). The property tax assessments were reduced using methods that included showing lesser built area, showing a commercial building as a residential building, and removing the construction of a few rooms from the buildings in the property tax server. This occurrence happened between 2022 and 2024. The petitioner stated that based on certain complaints about irregularities in the assessment of property tax, the then corporation commissioner constituted a committee in 2024 to conduct an inquiry. The commissioner also lodged a complaint with the commissioner of police on Sept 10, 2024. However, the central crime branch unit registered a case only on June 17, 2025. He added that police took action only against low-profile people and did not take action against the real culprits who have political influence. Hence, the petitioner moved court seeking to transfer the investigation to the CBI to ensure a fair investigation and to arrest the real accused involved in the scam.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
2 more held in property tax scam; MP seeks transparent probe
Madurai: Two data entry operators were arrested by Madurai city police on Thursday for their alleged involvement in the city corporation property tax irregularities that were uncovered by a probe by the Central Crime Branch (CCB). Meanwhile, Madurai MP Su Venkatesan has called for a thorough and transparent probe into the scam by bringing all officials, including higher officials under scrutiny and punish them if found guilty. The arrested data entry operators were identified as Ravi and Karunakaran. A bill collector, Kalimuthu Pandi, was suspended by the corporation commissioner on Wednesday while three temporary employees were terminated from service, over their alleged involvement in the tax fraud. Six bill collectors were already suspended for allegedly tampering with property tax records on the Urban Tree Information System (UTIS) portal. Venkatesan told reporters that though the irregularities were brought up time and again, no action was taken when AIADMK was in power and later too due to some apparent understanding between officials or politicians. "The state govt has the responsibility to first address the issues in the UTIS portal that allowed the fraud to happen and revamp it," he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The Madurai MP said the govt should not remain silent on the issue as it would only lead to fake news and rumours. "In case of corruption, a thorough and speedy probe is much-needed. Otherwise the trust of the people will also be broken. The scale of this crime also remains unknown as the portal system itself has technical issues and seems to be hacked. Bill collectors or data entry operators alone could not have committed the crime. The state govt should make it clear to the people what exactly happened," he added.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Residents seek resumption of zonal grievance meet in Madurai
M adurai: Residents and civic activists have urged the Madurai Corporation to immediately resume zonal-level grievance meetings, which have been on hold for the past two weeks. The suspension of these camps has raised concerns, especially after the recent resignation of zonal chairpersons over allegations of tampering with property tax data on the Urban Tree Information System (UTIS) portal. Residents argue that the absence of zonal chairpersons should not disrupt the meetings, as the mayor and corporation officials have the authority to continue them. "These meetings are crucial for addressing day-to-day civic issues," said M Sethu Lakshmi, president of the Mullai Nagar Residents' Association. She pointed out that property tax discrepancies, which require timely corrections, are usually resolved efficiently during these sessions. Each meeting typically handles 40 to 50 complaints, ranging from tax disputes and road repairs to water supply and drainage issues. "Now, we are forced to approach individual officials, which is time-consuming. Online complaints have never been effective," Lakshmi added. K Malini, a resident of Anuppanadi, said the meetings were already infrequent, often held only once every 45 to 50 days. "When they are held, we get a chance to meet the mayor and commissioner directly, which speeds up redressal. Otherwise, issues like water supply and drainage often get stuck at the clerical level," she said. Civic activist M Raj Kumar noted that meetings are sometimes skipped for other corporation events. "The absence of zonal chairpersons should not be an excuse. The mayor can easily convene these meetings," he said. A senior corporation official confirmed that the mayor has the authority to initiate the meetings. "The absence of chairpersons should not stall the process. If the mayor initiates, we can conduct the meetings without delay," the official said. MSID:: 122510645 413 |
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Time of India
Corpn suspends 6 bill collectors over property tax scam
1 2 Madurai: Madurai corporation on Tuesday suspended six bill collectors for allegedly tampering with property tax records on the Urban Tree Information System (UTIS) portal. The order was issued by corporation commissioner Chitra Vijayan following an internal review and amid a police investigation into widespread tax manipulation. The suspension of bill collectors P Karunakaran, M Kannan, K Ramalingam, P Ravichandran, P Aathimoolam, Ranjith Selvakumar, and Felix Rajamanickam comes a week after the resignation of all five zonal chairpersons over their alleged involvement in altering property tax data in the portal in exchange for favours, leading to significant revenue loss for the corporation. Notably, the same set of officials, except Karunakaran, was suspended earlier in Aug 2024 by the then commissioner, C Dinesh Kumar, when the scam was unearthed. However, the suspensions were later revoked following protests by the bill collectors' association. Recently, five temporary employees deployed in the revenue section were also suspended, and the contract of the manpower agency to the revenue department of the corporation was cancelled. The current probe, led by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Madurai city police, has intensified with the questioning of five zonal chairpersons who submitted their resignations last week on chief minister M K Stalin's directive. Police sources said that summons have been issued to at least seven more councillors and more bill collectors are under scrutiny. A senior corporation official confirmed that based on statements from the accused, one former assistant commissioner, who has since been transferred from Madurai, is also being questioned.
