Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Monday said that 40 percent of the residential houses in the cities and town do not have to pay any property tax while the remaining have to pay a nominal property tax between Rs 600 to Rs 1000 per year.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said addressing an event held at SKICC in Srinagar, the LG said that the property tax in J&K was the least when compared to other states.
“There are around 5,20,000 houses in the cities of J&K. Of these, 2,06,000 houses are less than 1000 sq ft which means 40 percent won’t have to pay any property tax. Another 2,03,680 houses are less than 1500 sq ft and 80 percent of these households will have to pay less than Rs 600 per annum while the rest will have to pay the maximum amount of Rs 1000, which is nominal,” he said.
The LG said that this amount was one-tenth of the tax amount being paid in Shimla, Ambala, and Dehradun.
He said that in the commercial establishments, of the 1,01,000 shops in Srinagar, Jammu, and other municipalities, around 46 percent of shops (46,000 shops) were less than 100 sq ft and they would have to pay upto Rs 700 per annum.
The LG said that of these 46,000 shops, 80 percent would have to pay Rs 500 to Rs 550 per annum, which was around Rs 50 per month.
“Around 30,000 shops will have to pay taxes below Rs 2000 per annum, which is also one-tenth of the amount being paid in Shimla, Ambala, and Dehradun,” he said.
The LG said that 76 percent of shops would be paying a nominal amount in the shape of Property Tax.
“No better arrangements can be made than this,” he said.
The LG sought participation from the citizens in the government’s efforts toward the socio-economic progress of rural and urban areas.
“In order to make urban local bodies self-reliant, the Housing and Urban Development Department notified the introduction of property tax in J&K like other parts of the country,” he said.
The LG said that the administration would ensure common people do not face any inconvenience and that every decision would be made in the interest of the people.
“The administration and responsible citizens must make others aware of the Property Tax and how we can contribute in transforming the cities as engines of growth,” he said.
The LG said that the revenue generated would not go to the J&K government and would be deposited in the accounts of the corporations and municipalities.
“It will be utilized for improving public amenities,” he said. “If a common man has any problem, he should reach out to the administration. It is our collective responsibility to build a J&K, which is economically prosperous, with ample opportunities for livelihood generation so that people can live and work with dignity and peace.”
Earlier, the LG also spoke on the transformation taking place in agriculture and allied sectors and how the implementation of 29 projects recommended by Apex committee would bring a favourable change in the lives of the farming families.
He shared the achievements registered during the Back to Village and employment opportunities extended to the youth, recruitment in government jobs, and streamlining the departmental promotions process.
