Jammu, March 31 (Scoop News) – Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, who is also holding Housing and Urban Development portfolio today made it clear that no new taxes have been imposed in the amended J&K Municipal Corporation and Municipal Committees Acts while terming the amendments as people friendly aimed at easing tax structure.
Addressing a press conference, the Deputy Chief Minister said the amendment bills, which were passed today in the Legislative Assembly only aim at bringing transparency and rationalizing tax structure with focus on benefitting poor and bringing marked improvement in sanitation and other municipal services for the inhabitants of cities and towns. He said tax slabs have been, in fact, drastically reduced with provision to benefit urban poor.
Giving details, he said the tax on commercial property will now be up to 10% while that of residential properties 4% as against 15% of rateable value under the Corporation Act 2000. Lands up to 10 marlas and residential construction thereon is exempted from the tax, he added.
In Municipal Committees only commercial properties will be charged with maximum ceiling up to 3%, the Deputy Chief Minister said adding that residential properties have been fully exempted. He said the commercial properties in Municipal Councils will be charged up to 7% while residential properties up to maximum of 3 %.
Under the Municipal Act of 2000 taxes up to 10% were chargeable in Municipal Committees, he said while asserting that residential properties up to 12 marlas have been exempted by the new amendment in Municipal committees.
In addition, he said BPL, agriculture land, hospitals, educational institutions, widows, deserted, divorcees and disabled persons have been exempted through the amendments, which otherwise had to pay tax under the earlier Acts.
In yet another pro poor gesture 20% Municipal funds have been earmarked for basic services to urban poor within Municipal limits, he said, adding that a provision has also been kept for Area Sabha’s and Ward Committees to encourage community participation at grass root level.
Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Nasir Aslam Wani said the amendments were brought about as part of reforms to ensure smooth flow of funds under JNURM and other centrally sponsored schemes. He said the implementation of Acts will start after Municipal polls.
Downplaying the criticism of the opposition, he said the amendments have been brought on the basis of reports of Select Committee, in which PDP Legislator was also a member, who he said has never expressed dissent during the Committee meetings.
Bereft of issues, he said, the opposition has vainly tried to raise the issue to gain cheap publicity.
Earlier the Legislative Assembly today passed two Bills which include a “Bill to further amend the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act-2000 and the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act, 2000 (L.A. Bill No. 29 of 2010) and a “ Bill to establish a Property Tax Board in the State (L.A. Bill No. 11 of 2011).
The Bills were moved in the House by the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Nasir Aslam Wani. The amendments moved by Basharat Ahmed Bukhari and Chowdhary Zulafkar Ali were rejected by the House when put to vote.