Politics

The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to impose property tax in the region from April 1, 2023, according to a notification issued by the Housing and Urban Development department. The decision has sparked controversy, with former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeting “No Taxation Without Representation,” and questioning why people in J&K should pay state taxes, including the proposed property tax, when they have no say in how the government is run.

The notification stated that the property tax will be levied, assessed and collected in the Municipalities and Municipal Councils of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir under the Jammu and Kashmir Property Tax (Other Municipalities) Rules, 2023. The government’s move comes after it was given permission by the Ministry of Home Affairs in October 2020 to impose property taxes in the region through Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Committees.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Adaptation of State Laws) Order, 2020, amended the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act, 2000, and the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act, 2000. This amendment paved the way for the imposition of property taxes in the region.

The decision has not gone down well with many residents of Jammu and Kashmir, who are already struggling with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have questioned the need for the tax, especially when the region is still reeling from the impact of the political changes that took place in 2019, which saw the region lose its autonomous status.

The government, on the other hand, has defended the move, stating that the revenue generated from the tax will be used to fund development projects in the region. The tax is expected to generate a significant amount of revenue for the government, which will be used to improve the region’s infrastructure and public services.

However, many locals have expressed their anger and frustration at the decision, stating that they have no say in how their government is run and that they are being forced to pay taxes without any representation. They have also criticized the government for imposing the tax at a time when people are already struggling to make ends meet.

Sara Hayat Shah, who is the spokesperson of JKNC, has also expressed her disappointment at the government’s decision to impose property tax in the region. In a tweet, she stated that the people of J&K are being treated like cattle, with no say in the decisions that are being made each day. She also pointed out that the region is currently going through a severe economic crisis, making it even more difficult for people to cope with the added burden of the tax. Her tweet highlights the frustration and anger felt by many locals, who feel that they are being ignored by the government and are being forced to pay taxes without any representation.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration will need to work hard to address the concerns of the people and ensure that they understand the need for the tax. It is important that the government ensures that the revenue generated from the tax is used for the benefit of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and that they are given a say in how their government is run.

New Delhi: Police prevented People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti from taking out a march to Parliament on Wednesday to protest against an ongoing anti-encroachment drive in Jammu and Kashmir.

Accompanied by scores of party workers, Ms Mufti planned to march from Railway Bhawan to Parliament, where she wanted to inform opposition parties about the Jammu and Kashmir administration’s “bulldozer policy”.

However, police detained the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, and took her and her party workers to Jantar Mantar. The protesters dispersed from Jantar Mantar.

“We had come to inform the public, opposition parties and members of the ruling BJP about the misery faced by the public at large in Jammu and Kashmir. If we can’t go to Parliament, I wonder where we should go then. Does the government want us to get our grievances redressed at the United Nations,” Ms Mufti asked.

There is no rule of law that can be seen in Jammu and Kashmir and “we came all the way to Delhi to speak our hearts out. But it seems that here also the voice of the general public is muzzled,” she said.

Anantnag: J&K Peoples Movement (JKPM) Vice President and founding member Syed Iqbal Tahir on Sunday resigned from the post of Vice President as well as from the basic membership of the party.

In his resignation letter addressed to the party state executive committee, Iqbal Tahir has said that the illegal abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution of India was a momentous milestone in the chequered political history of Jammu & Kashmir and the abrogation has wiped off any trace of the ‘special status’ that people of J&K had enjoyed under the constitution.

Also Read: Altaf Bukhari promises to hire best lawyers to fight in SC for restoration of Articles 370, 35A

While acknowledging that JKPM was prompt in challenging the abrogation before the Supreme Court of India, in his resignation letter Iqbal Tahir has however stressed that the struggle for restoration of Articles 370 & 35A has also to be carried out at political and other levels.

“It is very painful to leave an organization of which I was a founding member but I am convinced that in order to achieve the ‘larger goal’, younger political workers like us have a moral obligation to bolster such political forces in the state who are much better placed and equipped to achieve justice and dignity for the people of J&K which was taken away from them in August 2019. It is time to “join hands with them rather than work in silos” and raise a collective voice against the suppression unleashed over the people of J&K after abrogation” Iqbal Tahir has mentioned in his resignation letter.

Syed Iqbal Tahir is an advocate at the Supreme Court of India. He is an alumnus of Bristol Law School, UK and attended a leadership programme at Harvard University, USA.

As per sources, he is likely to join one of the PAGD parties in the coming days.

Jammu, 09 Nov: Ghulam Nabi Azad, chairman of the Democratic Azad Party (DAP), on Tuesday said statehood was the right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said, “Grant of statehood to J&K by the Central Government is the right of our people. The DAP is fully committed to fulfill the aspirations of the people of my state”.

Azad expressed concerns regarding unemployment and said there was lack of opportunities for the labour class. “While the youth of J&K is left with no employment opportunity, there is no work even for the labour class,” he said.

Also Read: Tribal Bachao March, Why Jammu And Kashmir Nomads Are On Roads?

While addressing a public meeting at Galli Bhatoli village, Azad said that even the people belonging to the scheduled tribe category had been facing a lot of problems.

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