Bandipora, Feb 24: The Bandipora district administration on the directions Deputy Commissioner Bandipora Dr Owais Ahmad on Friday held special interaction programmes with locals including traders and civil society members in sumbal and Bandipora town with an aim to clarify the misconceptions with regard to the property tax.
In Bandipora the meeting was attended by Executive Officer Municipality Bandipora, District Industres Officer Mehraj Wani while at Sumbal SDM Sumbal and other senior officers of the sub division were present.
On the occasion the traders and civil society members apprised officer's about their issues. The officers also explained the property tax provisions in detail to the audiences.
Speaking on the occasion, officers said there is a lot of factually incorrect and misleading information circulating in the media with regard to property tax notification, with a potential of misguiding the people, so it became important that the common public is aware of the correct and full facts of the matter.
They said the property tax is being levied across the country by Municipalities to augment their resources as they have a very limited sources of income to run day to day affairs.
Mehraj Wani said it is with this background, and with an intend to strengthen out ULBs and ramp up the urban development for the betterment of common masses, the Government has decided to impose property tax in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the new Property tax policy will help municipal bodies to generate revenue for better municipal services with minimum Tax implications to residents.
"Better municipal services are expected to attract more investment and encourage more people to set up businesses in the J&K," he added.
Officers said revenue generated from property taxes will be used to improve infrastructure, and significantly enhancing the quality and levels of being services provided by Municipal bodies.
While clearing some misconceptions, the officers said the revenue will be collected by the ULBs, retained by them and then used for their development needs. "If the tax is being collected from the people and spend only for their betterment, improving their quality of life, what is the problem,?" he asked.
Wani cleared that the tax is not as high as is being tried to portray. He said the Property Tax is proposed to be levied at 5% of Taxable Annual Value (TAV) of the Property in case of a Residential Property and at 6% of Taxable Annual Value (TAV), in case of Non-Residential Property.
Infact, Tax rates, even in the Corporations are one of the lowest in the country, almost half that of Himachal, and one fourth to one sixth, overall, of other progressive States like Gujarat Maharashtra and Karnataka,and Delhi. Again, tax rates are 25% lower in the Municipal Councils, and 50 % in Municipalities,officer's added.
Giving example, Officers said if an owner of a residential bungalow over a kanal of land in a posh colony of Gandhinagar in Jammu and Raj Bagh in Srinagar, with the value of their assets being more than five crores, is required to pay Rs 500/- per month,
"Is it unreasonable? Or is it unreasonable to charge Rs 100/- pm or even less, from a 3BHK apartment owner?Unjustified?Certainly not!," he asked the traders.
He said like wise if tax is such a meagre amount in Srinagar, the tax will be further lesser in districts like Bandipora
The officers said all places of worship, including temples, masjids, gurudwaras, churches, ziarats, etc are exempt from payment of property tax.
They said Property Tax is to be levied annually and can be paid in two equal instalment and hence will not be burdening common citizen.
On the occasion traders posed several questions to the officers to clear their confusion about the taxes and thanked the administration for holding the awareness programme to clear their confusions.
They said the administration will continue such programmes in coming days so that misconceptions are removed from the minds of people.
