The Government of Jammu Kashmir has issued a notification imposing property tax through urban local bodies (Municipal Corporation, Committees) in their respective areas across Jammu Kashmir.
In this regard, a notification was issued on February 12, 2021 by Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary to the Government, Housing and Urban Development department of Jammu Kashmir.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by the Jammu Kashmir Property Tax Board Act, 2013 (Act), the Jammu Kashmir Municipal Act, 2000, and the Jammu Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act, 2000, the Government hereby direct that for the levy of property tax on any land or building, the value of land as notified in terms of Jammu 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 read.
Lt. Governor of Jammu Kashmir, Manoj Sinha had last year said that the JK government will not impose any property tax in the Union Territory.
“Let me clarify that there is no proposal to impose the property tax in Jammu and Kashmir,” Sinha had said while addressing ‘My Town My Pride’ meeting in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district last year.
It further stated that 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.
Pertinently, this would be the first time residents of Jammu Kashmir will have to pay property tax.
Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry has strongly objected to this decision and appealed to the government to withdraw the property tax.
They warned the Government of intensified protest if the Government does not roll back the law.
In a press conference in Jammu, the president of the chamber, Arun Gupta, said that people of Jammu Kashmir, especially traders, have been going through an economic crisis for the last one and a half years.
“Due to the situation created after August 5, 2019, there was a shutdown in Jammu Kashmir, Since the withdrawal of Article 370, there has been no major economic activity. The number of unemployed youth is increasing day by day,” he said.
The people are not ready for the tax, he said, adding that people suffered heavy losses due to lockdown activities.
Many Indian states have cut the duty to give relief to their people, but instead of reducing the taxes, the Jammu Kashmir administration has started imposing taxes on people one after the other.
“The imposition of taxes of this sort is making the people weaker financially,” Arun Gupta has said, adding, that Jammu Kashmir is an economically, geographically and politically sensitive states.