Retrospective increase of 25 percent in rent
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Dec 14: Burdening Jammuites with enhanced and new charges, Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has substantially increased its various fees and taxes.
While increase in fee for issuance and renewal of NOCs comes into force with immediate effect or from January 1, 2024, rent for the shops/ godowns/garages/ground and fields has been surprisingly enhanced retrospectively with effect from April 1, 2023.
Fee for issuing license or NOC for all kinds of business establishments right from street vendors to shops and hotels, has been substantially increased from 8 percent to 25 percent with immediate effect while yearly Trade Tax has been almost doubled in maximum cases.
The JMC has also considerably enhanced various fees and taxes pertaining to Building Section of JMC besides adding one time new Draftsman Registration fees of Rs 12 thousands.
Decisions in this regard were taken during the meeting of Central Purchase Committee of Jammu Municipal Corporation, which was held under the chairmanship of JMC Commissioner on December 8.
As per minutes of the meeting, a copy of which is in possession of the Excelsior, fees for construction of residential building for ground and subsequent floor has been increased around 148 percent from Rs 32.28 per sqm to Rs 80 per sqm while an enhancement has been made in Sanitation Charges (from Rs 1200 to Rs 3000), Septic Tank Security Fee (Rs 2000 to Rs 5000), Copying fees (Rs 100 to Rs 1000) and Mulba Security fees (100 percent), etc.
More ironic is the retrospective increase of 25 percent on the existing rates of rent from Municipal shops, Godowns, Garages, Ground and Field with effect from April 1, 2023.
Further, rent from Ground and Fields for religious events and exhibitions has been doubled from Rs 500 to Rs 1000 and Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 per day, respectively.
License fee of Hawkers (street vendor) selling Cigarette, Pan, Ice cream, Tea and Golgappa etc has been increased from 20 to 30 percent with effect from January 1, 2024 while application fee for permission to install firecracker stall has been increased from Rs 300 to Rs 1000.
Similarly, Municipal fees for issuance/renewal of NOC through online mode for various business establishments has also been substantially enhanced while yearly Trade Tax has been increased from 50 percent to 150 percent.
NOC fee for new lodges and their renewal, which was nil earlier, shall be Rs 20,000 and Rs 13,500 respectively with immediate effect. Similarly, heavy NOC fee in thousands of rupees shall be charged from some other establishments like Retail Store, Hospital, Higher Secondary, Coaching Institutes, Tuition Centres, Private Libraries, Pollution Checking Centres, Gymnasium etc, which were earlier exempted from such charges.
The rate of advertisement through hoardings have also been enhanced and fixed as Rs 7.50 per sqft per day with immediate effect.
All the decisions for enhancing the fees and taxes etc were taken unanimously who included in the meeting by the committee members, who included Joint Commissioner (A), JMC; Joint Commissioner (R&E), JMC; Joint Commissioner (W) JMC; Deputy Commissioner (N), JMC; Secretary JMC, Chief Accounts Officer JMC and Informatics officer JMC.
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