Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 22: Four former Chief Ministers 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’.
The former CM and president of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti termed the imposition of Property Tax as another step to wreak havoc on people of J&K.
“The imposition of Property Tax is only one step in the BJP’s daily process of wreaking havoc on Jammu and Kashmir. As part of an anti-encroachment campaign, our legitimate businesses and homes were recently destroyed, and now we are being required to pay taxes on those properties,” she said.
“These things were protected by the special status, and as a result, our employment and land were safe. Also, our Assembly used to pass laws that benefited the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP wanted to join Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of India and abolish all of our safeguards when it repealed the special status. The Legislature would have taken care of these problems, but I have no idea how Delhi releases one directive after another, making the situation for the people much worse. Prior to 2019, there was militancy over the previous 30 years, followed by devastation,” she said.
“Look at Ragunath Bazaar in Jammu-there are no shoppers there. Look at Srinagar, where one house is occupied by three families. The towns lack the authority to levy property taxes. The private sector is nonexistent, there is no business for traders, no employment, and thousands of kanals of land are being given to outsiders under the guise of the private sector while the locals are being persecuted. People should fight back against it, as I previously stated that you need to resist it to exist. The people need to peacefully inform the Government that they cannot afford to pay taxes,” she added.
Former CM Ghulam Nabi Azad said that under the present economic scenario in J&K, the imposition of tax is backbreaking.
“Millions of our educated kids are staying at home while unemployment has multiplied 1,000-fold. The industries and development projects are shut. After many years, tourism was resurrected. However, opening tourism for one or five years will not make up for the loss of 33 years. The number of hotel owners, shikara wallas, and shopkeepers who have taken out loans has multiplied many times over, and it will take them many years to repay the loan. Our fruits have been destroyed, and the prices of fruits are lower than those of potatoes. The handicraft has ended. Our revenue is zero, and to impose taxation in this condition is backbreaking,” he said.
“As taxes are imposed in every State, I am unable to claim that they are harmful. However, if the situation in Jammu and Kashmir had been the same 33 years ago, I would not have been harmed, and no one in Jammu and Kashmir would have had difficulty paying taxes. But, throughout the past 33 years, the political and economic realities that Jammu and Kashmir has faced as well as the scenario that has developed as a result of militancy,” he added.
Another former CM and president of NC Farooq Abdullah when asked about imposition of Property Tax said that such orders do not bother the people anymore.
“They are issuing order after order. It does not affect us anymore. What can a slave people do? We are silent spectators,” he said.
Earlier last evening former CM Omar Abdullah termed the decision unjust. “No Taxation Without Representation. Why should people in J&K pay State taxes including the proposed Property Tax when we have no say in how our Government is run & no say in the decision making of J&K. We are expected to be mute spectators to all unjust decisions by Raj Bhavan,” he tweeted.
Srinagar Mayor, Junaid Azim Matto termed the move as arbitrary. He 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 LG seeking a withdrawal of the SO,” SMC Mayor tweeted.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief, Vikar Rasool Wani denounced the move and said that this is Naya J&K for the BJP led Government.
“I strongly denounced the levying of Property Tax on our people who are unable to run their homes due to the high rate of inflation, immense unemployment rate and zero business activity. This is BJP lead Centre Government Amrit Kaal and LG administration Naya Jammu Kashmir,” JKPCC chief tweeted.
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