Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, June 16: Government today ruled out roll back of the tax imposed in September last year on the commercial helicopter services operating within the State.
“At present, no such proposal is under consideration with the Government,” Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu said in reply to a question in the Assembly here.
BJP MLA Rajeev Jasrotia had asked whether there was any proposal to roll back the tax imposed on helicopter service to Katra Vaishno Devi shrine.
Commercial helicopter services operating within the State have been brought within the ambit of taxation vide notification SRO 297 on September 2, 2015 issued by Finance Department. The rate of tax in respect of commercial helicopter services is 12.6 per cent.
Asked whether the said tax would be made applicable to the helicopter services to the 3,880 metre high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, the minister said “the tax is applicable to all commercial helicopter services operating within the State”.
Drabu said it was all commercial helicopter services in the State which were taxed and not just those operating at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. “Let us not make it sound as if the tax has been imposed on a religious place. It is the high end pilgrim tourist which has been taxed. Even the Shrine Boards have been imposing levies on basic facilities provided to pilgrims,” the Finance Minister said.
BJP MLA R S Pathania and independent MLA Pawan Kumar Gupta, raising supplementaries, said the imposition of the tax was illegal as aviation fall in the Union list of subjects. Pathania said the order did not even have the Cabinet nod.
Drabu said the decision to impose tax on the helicopter service has been taken by the Finance Department. “The tax on commercial helicopter services was imposed under Jammu and Kashmir Sales Tax Act of 1962. It is well within our powers,” Drabu said.
“If they find it illegal, there is recourse to the court of law. Indian Constitution is applicable to Jammu and Kashmir through Article 370 and the State Constitution,” Drabu said.
Gupta said he is not satisfied with the Government’s reply and staged a walkout in protest.
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