The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — Amid controversy over the imposition of property tax in Jammu & Kashmir, the administration of Union Territory has extended the deadline for filing property tax returns.

The Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD) has amended the rules governing the imposition of property tax in Jammu & Kashmir after the deadline for furnishing of property tax returns elapsed.

The amendment in the rules governing the imposition of property tax in Municipal Corporations and other Municipal Bodies state that the particulars of the property and the tax due thereon for the financial year 2023-24, shall be furnished by July 31, 2023.

“Provided that the particulars of the property and the tax due thereon for the financial year 2023-24, shall be furnished in Form-1 by July 31, 2023,” reads proviso added to Rule 5 of “The Jammu and Kashmir Property Tax (Municipal Corporations) Rules 2023 and “The Jammu & Kashmir Property Tax (Other Municipalities) Rules, 2023”.

The proviso has been added as the deadline for filing of property tax is May 30 of the financial year to which the returns pertain.

“It was a legal necessity to add the proviso as a deadline for filing particulars of the property and tax due thereon during the ongoing financial year elapsed on May 30,” an official told the news agency KNO.

The imposition of property tax evoked criticism from mainstream parties but the J&K administration has maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is the last in the country to come under the purview of property tax.

SRINAGAR — Amid growing criticism over the imposition of property tax in Jammu & Kashmir, the administration of the Union Territory has sought feedback from the general public over the proposed tax.

In a notice, as per the news agency KNO, the Housing & Urban Development Department has sought suggestions/comments from the general public over the imposition of property tax in Jammu & Kashmir.

“Any suggestions/comments in this regard are welcome and may be sent to the Housing & Urban Development Department at the email address housingudd9@gmail.com within 10 days,” reads the notice.

The notice states that UT of Jammu & Kashmir is levying property tax on residential houses/apartments and commercial establishments within the municipal areas from April 1, 2023 in terms of two notifications issued by the Housing and Urban Development Department on February 21.

On February 21, 2023, J&K’s Housing and Urban Development Department issued two separate notifications for levying, assessment and collection of property tax in the urban areas of Jammu and Kashmir, where 27% of the UT’s population resides as per the 2011 census figures.

The Jammu & Kashmir Property Tax (Municipal Corporation) Rules 2023 and the Jammu & Kashmir (Other Municipalities) Rules 2023, notified by the government, define the procedure for collection of property tax within the limits of municipal corporations, committees and councils in the UT.

As per these rules, property tax is to be 5% of the taxable annual value (TAV) on residential properties and 6% of the taxable annual value on commercial properties.

The rules faced widespread criticism, with political parties including National Conference, Congress, Peoples Conference, and Peoples Democratic Party assailing the move. Even the State BJP distanced itself from the move.

SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said that 40 percent of J&K’s urban population will have to pay no property tax and the remaining 60 percent have to pay a nominal amount between Rs 600 to Rs 1000 maximum amount per annum. He said that the tax amount fixed is one-tenth of the tax being paid by Shimla, Ambala, and Dehradun.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at SKICC here, the LG as per news agency KNO, said in J&K, 2,0,3,680 households are less than 1500 sq. feet.

“Forty percent of people living within the limits of Municipal Corporations/Committees won’t have to pay the tax. Eighty percent of the 2,0,3,680 households will have to pay a nominal amount of Rs 600 only while the rest will have to pay a nominal amount of Rs 1000 as property tax per annum. This amount is one-tenth of the tax amount being paid by Shimla, Ambala and Dehradun,” LG Sinha said.

About the commercial property including shops, the LG said that 1,01,000 shops are in J&K of which 42 percent of shops are less than 100 sq. feet. “These shops will have to pay less than Rs 700 per annum. 76 percent of the total shops of 1,01,000 shops will have to pay a very minimum amount as the property tax,” he said, adding that the amount collected will directly go into the accounts of Municipal Corporations and be utilized for the development of the areas where tax will be collected.

“I urge the common people of J&K to come forward and help build a better J&K,” the LG said. On Saturday, the LG stated that property tax will be imposed after thorough consultations with the general public.

Pertinently, the J&K Government announced the imposition of property tax in the UT from April 1. The move evoked sharp criticism from the cross-section of society and the political parties, who demanded immediate rollback of the order.

The Housing and Urban Development Department of Jammu and Kashmir announced to impose property tax in Municipal areas under the Jammu and Kashmir Property Tax (Other Municipalities) Rules, 2023. The rules prescribe certain rules for the levy, assessment, and collection of property tax in the municipalities and municipal councils of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, effective from April 1, 2023.

The government notified the rule in the exercise of the power conferred by Section 71A of the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act 2000. In October 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) empowered the Jammu and Kashmir administration to impose the property tax after an amendment to the J&K Municipal Act, 2000, and J&K Municipal Corporation Act, 2000 through the J&K Reorganisation (Adaption of State Laws) Order, 2020.

SRINAGAR — The administration is likely to impose property tax in Jammu and Kashmir from April 1, a move opposed by various political parties including the BJP.

The Housing and Urban Development Department has been working on the proposal to impose Property Tax in the Union Territory, reports said.

The Department initially might cover commercial establishments for the imposition of Property Tax and exempt the residential buildings as there has been opposition to the proposal from various political parties and organizations including the BJP, Daily Excelsior reported.

Earlier, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) Mayor Rajinder Sharma, a BJP member, announced that the Property Tax will not be imposed.

“Slabs for the imposition of Property Tax are being worked out,” sources quoted by the newspaper said.

SRINAGAR — The Lieutenant Governor-led administration in Jammu and Kashmir has ordered the premature retirement of nine employees of the Housing and Urban Development Department under Article 226(2) of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services Regulations on charges of ‘corruption’.

The charges against the officers were confirmed by the Departmental Committees and upheld by the designated review committee under Article 226(2), including misappropriation of funds, falsification of records and raising fake bills, allowing illegal constructions, committing financial irregularities and making illegal appointments during their tenure in various ULBs.

Most of the officials have faced probes by the Anti-Corruption Bureau and were also suspended. Article 226(2) of the J&K Civil Services Regulations, 1956 allows the government employees to be retired in "public interest" upon completing 22 years of qualifying service or attaining 48 years of age. The Article is essentially meant to help in the removal of deadwood from the government services.

The employees are retired with a three-month notice or three months of pay. However, they retain pensionary benefits, as per government order.

The nine employees of Housing and Urban Development Department who face premature retirement include Mehraj-ud-Din Buja, I/C Senior Building Officer, Srinagar Municipal Corporation who as Head Assistant Revenue Section, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, was arrested by Vigilance Organization Kashmir in a trap case; Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Malik, who during his posting as in-charge of EO Municipal Council Anantnag was involved in misappropriation, irregularities in financial transactions, illegal constructions, gross negligence and misconduct; Shabir Ahmad Wani, Assistant Sanitation Officer, MC Shopian, who during his posting as in-charge CEO Municipal Council Anantnag was involved in misappropriation, illegal constructions, irregularities in financial transactions, gross negligence, and misconduct; Zakir All, Sanitary Supervisor, MC Doda; Abdul Latief, Head Assistant, MC Banihal and Mr Sukesh Kumar, Senior Assistant, MC Doda who were involved in financial mismanagement by the drawl of fictitious bills against the non-existing Safalwallas.

The other three employees of the Housing and Urban Development Department ousted for alleged corruption are Gowhar All Tugoo, I/C Secretary, Directorate of Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir, who was involved in cases regarding illegal appointments and financial irregularities made during his tenure at MC, Sopore,; Shagufta Fazil, Secretary, Directorate of Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir who was found involved in embezzlement and unauthorized withdrawal of TA and 7th Pay Commission arrears and Thakur Dass, Electrician, Municipal Committee Reasi, who was involved in a huge case of embezzlement of funds and financial mismanagement.