‘property tax to be paid only once a year’

SRINAGAR: The government Saturday said that the property tax was being imposed in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure better facilities were provided to the people. Addressing a news conference

here, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir V K Bidhuri, who was accompanied by SMC Commissioner, Athar Aamir Khan, said that one-third of the population were exempted from the property tax as

their property area was less than 1000 sq ft. He said that J&K was last in the country where the property tax was being imposed. “Unlike other places, the property tax is very less,” he

said. “The property tax will be collected from those whose houses are built at more than 1500 sq ft.” The divisional commissioner said that the tax was to be paid only once a year. He said

that the collected amount would be used for the people and the amount would remain in the account of corporation and municipal committees only. Bidhuri said that there was no option other

than imposing property tax, which would be acceptable to the people, for ensuring better facilities to them. Interacting with media persons, the SMC Commissioner said that the tax that would

be collected from people from April would be used to provide better facilities to the people. “SMC’s current revenue is just 10 percent of its requirement. This will help in ensuring better

services and facilities to the people as the tax can’t be transferred to the Centre or J&K government and used for developmental purposes only,” he said.