40 percent urban population exempted in J&K, says Sinha
The Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said that 40 per cent of the J&K’s urban population will have to pay no property tax and the remaining 60 per cent have to pay nominal amount between Rs. 600 to Rs .1000 maximum amount per annum. He said that tax amount fixed is one-tenth of the tax being paid by Shimla, Ambala and Dehradun.
In a function at SKICC here, the LG said in J&K, 2, 0, 3,680 households are less than 1500 Sq feet.
“Fourty per cent people living within the limits of Municipal Corporations/Committees won’t have to pay the tax.
Eighty percent of the 2,0,3680 households will have to pay nominal amount of Rs 600 only while 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,” the LG Sinha said.
About the commercial including shops, the LG said that 1,01000 shops are in J&K of which 42 per cent shops are less than 100 sq feet. “These shops will have to pay less than Rs 700 per anum. 76 per cent of the total shops of 1, 1000 shops will have to pay very minimum amount as the property tax,” he said, adding that the amount collected will directly go into the accounts of Municipal Corporations and 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 had stated that property tax will be imposed after through consultations with the general public.
Earlier, Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha today inaugurated power infrastructure projects worth Rs.192 crores.
The 25 projects inaugurated included 22 receiving stations costing Rs 50 cr; Smart Metering project costing Rs. 62.88 cr& Smart Metering App – Smart Bill Sahuliyat, and Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition system at a cost of Rs 79.27 cr.
In presence of the Lt Governor, KPDCL and JPDCL signed MoUs worth Rs 1814 Cr & Rs 2174 Cr, respectively, with PESL (PGCIL), RECPDCL & NTPC for implementation of Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). It will strengthen distribution infrastructure and improve electricity supply to urban & rural areas.
Dedicating the power infrastructure projects to the people, the Lt Governor said the projects inaugurated today will add to the existing distribution capacity and provide quality power supply to the households and existing & upcoming industrial units in the respective areas.
The completion of projects under the MoUs signed today will go a long way to achieve the goal of providing 24×7 quality power to the people of Jammu Kashmir, he added.
We have made dedicated efforts to increase generation, transmission and distribution capacity and ensured that the people of J&K have access to hassle-free power supply, the Lt Governor observed.
Projects undertaken for creation of new receiving stations and augmentation of existing stations will ensure quality and reliable power supply to people. We have achieved huge capacity addition under Centrally Sponsored Schemes/PMDP projects. Out of 195 projects, 135 have been completed and the remaining 60 projects will be completed in coming months, the Lt Governor noted.
The power scenario in Jammu Kashmir, which was in shambles for decades, has witnessed a major turnaround with more electricity being supplied, especially in far-flung areas as compared to previous years, said the Lt Governor.
In Kashmir valley, additional capacities were created during the winter to enable peak demand and 10 percent more power was supplied as compared to last year. For the first time, in a single year out of total 30 grid stations, 11 stations have been augmented, he added.
Power supply position in Jammu region has improved after addition of new system capacities. These initiatives exemplify our commitment for inclusive development and to fulfil the needs of the common man, the Lt Governor further added.
The Lt Governor highlighted the reforms introduced in the last three years to improve the power infrastructure; enhance power sustainability & efficiency in the UT.
Under PMDP and Centrally Sponsored Schemes, a well-planned, systematic and comprehensive program is being implemented for improvement and upgradation of transmission & distribution infrastructure to streamline and strengthen the power supply across J&K, he said.
