Not Acceptable: Jammu Chamber Raises Voice Against Property Tax

The Chamber of Commerce and Industries Jammu today said property tax is not acceptable and it would oppose it tooth and nail.

Addressing a news conference in Jammu, president, Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Jammu, Arun Gupta, said since August 5, 2019, Jammu has remained closed off and on and people are not in any position to pay taxes.

He said Jammu remained closed during the lockdown also. “The government should know how people are surviving and running their businesses,” he said. He said the government should review the property tax. “We are opposing it strongly and we will go to any extent to oppose it,” Gupta said.

“The government should have first talked to the stakeholders before imposing this kind of tax. They haven’t talked to the stakeholders once. I believe business people of Jammu are in dire straits and some of them don’t have even the capacity to pay their children’s school fees. This kind of tax shouldn’t be introduced here,” he added. He said in other places, the governments are reducing taxes as people are not in any position to pay.

Besides, he said, Lakhanpur continues to be the red zone and the inter-state buses continue to be off the roads creating fear among pilgrim tourists, who were not coming to Jammu. Lakhanpur is the major entry point to Jammu & Kashmir and every vehicle entering or going out of J&K has to pay toll tax. The government has also set up the toll posts under the administrative control of deputy excise commissioner to collect tax under different heads.

On February 12, 2021, the Jammu and Kashmir administration issued a notification imposing property tax through urban local bodies (municipal corporation, committees) in their respective areas across the state.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by the Jammu & Kashmir Property Tax Board Act, 2013 (Act), the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act, 2000, and the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act, 2000, the government hereby directs that for the levy of property tax on any land or building, the value of land as notified in terms of Jammu and Kashmir Preparation and Revision of Market Value Guideline Rules 2011(circle rate) shall be a key determinant of the value of the property apart from the nature of construction, the kind of use, the age of the property, or any other relevant consideration," the notification reads.

It says the property tax board, or as the case may be, the municipal corporation, council or committee concerned shall ensure that the value of land so notified is adequately factored in while determining the unit area values for levy of property tax under the Act.

In October, 2020, the Union home ministry had empowered the government of J&K to impose property tax through the municipal corporations, municipal councils and municipal committees in their respective areas across Jammu and Kashmir.