Bill collectors protest suspension over property tax manipulation

Madurai: After five bill collectors were suspended for allegedly manipulating property tax assessments within the Urban Tree Information System (UTIS), the Madurai Corporation All Employees Association and the Bill Collectors Association staged a protest at the corporation’s central zonal office on Tuesday. The associations have petitioned mayor Indrani Ponvasanth, calling for a thorough investigation and the revocation of the suspension orders issued by corporation commissioner C Dinesh Kumar on Saturday.
K Munisamy, president of the Madurai Corporation All Employees Association, argued that the bill collectors are being unfairly targeted. “Others misused the passwords of the bill collectors. Bill collectors are at the bottom of the hierarchy in the revenue department, so if fraud has occurred, all responsible employees should be investigated,” he said. Munisamy also noted that no proper inquiry was conducted before issuing notices to 13 bill collectors and suspending five.
Following a meeting with the mayor and commissioner, the associations were assured that a new inquiry would be initiated. Commissioner Dinesh Kumar confirmed that a committee would be formed to investigate the matter. “Those found guilty will face consequences, while the innocent will have their suspension orders revoked,” he stated. Bill collectors were also advised not to share their passwords with anyone, including higher-ranking officials. Some bill collectors pointed out that passwords are changed monthly and are known by administration officials, suggesting the leak may not be solely their responsibility.
The suspension orders affected five bill collectors including K Ramalingam, P Mariammal, P Ravichandran, M Kannan, and P Aathimoolam. Officials explained that the UTIS software involves multiple layers of approval for property tax assessments, including verification by junior assistants, assistant revenue officers, and the assistant commissioner of the revenue department. Any reduction in property tax requires a court order or a resolution by the corporation council.
The suspended bill collectors allegedly bypassed these protocols, reducing property taxes for several properties in five zones. Their actions reportedly resulted in a revenue loss amounting to 25 lakh every six months, accumulating to 1 crore over two years.