KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Feb 22: The political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have opposed the property tax announced by the government while the City Mayor, Junaid Azim Mattoo said that the decision was not approved by elected ULBs and thus the SMC will explore ways to contest this ‘arbitrary move’.
While terming the move as ‘arbitrary’, Mattoo said that the decision has not been approved by elected ULBs. He also said that the SMC will explore ways to contest the arbitrary move.
“Imposition of Property Tax in J&K is ironically violative of municipal empowerment as this has neither been deliberated upon, nor approved by elected ULBs. While SMC will explore ways to contest this arbitrary move, I am writing to the Hon’ble LG seeking a withdrawal of the SO,” SMC Mayor tweeted.
Senior CPI (M) leader Mohamamd Yousuf Tarigami termed the levying of property tax as ‘arbitrary and undemocratic’, saying that the process of collecting tax and deciding the values of the tax is the sole prerogative of the elected institutions—the legislature to frame laws and the municipal councils and corporations to decide the forms and different values according to their objective realities.
Levying property tax in absence of an elected government is quite unconstitutional. Even the elected municipal bodies were not consulted; he said and demanded immediate withdrawal of the notification.
BJP’s J&K spokesman Altaf Thakur while speaking over the issue, said that the time is not apt for the move. “The party led by its president Ravinder Raina will approach the administration in this regard to seek their intervention,” he said.
