Jammu, March 10: Provincial President Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) Jammu Rattan Lal Gupta Friday announced full support of the party to ‘Jammu Bandh’ call given by the Chamber of Commerce and Industries Jammu against the imposition of Property Tax.
Asserting that the present dispensation has plunged the J&K UT into mess and chaos, he said that the only solution to end these problems is to hold elections to J&K Assembly at the earliest.
In a statement issued to Rising Kashmir, the senior National Conference leader stated that imposition of property tax in absence of a duly elected Govt is illegal and against the spirit of democracy.
He said that the Lt Governor’s dispensation has absolutely no mandate to impose taxes on the people without their mandate given by them to their duly elected representatives.
Elaborating further, Rattan Lal Gupta said that property tax comes within the jurisdiction of the local bodies as per the constitutional mandate but it is an irony that even the elected representatives in the local bodies including the Municipalities, Municipal councils and Municipal Corporations were not consulted before issuing the order of imposition of property tax.
“In fact ignoring the aforesaid duly elected members have totally exposed the BJP’s proxy government’s real intentions of giving the democratic institutions a damn”.
Questioning the Union Govt on failing to implement the much parroted ‘One Nation One Tax’ policy, the NC leader stated that this was promised by the Govt when GST was implemented then why instead of abolishing all other taxes the government is coming up with new taxes every other day thus harassing the common people of the nation and J&K.
The Provincial President also castigated the Govt for the brutal lathi-charge on peacefully protesting job seekers who were only demanding their due rights and justice. He said that what justification the LG administration has for engaging the blacklisted companies for conducting recruitment exams in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that scams in FAA, SI jobs, etc have become the hallmark of the incumbent dispensation with transparence and accountability being a distant dream and thus the government have betrayed the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.
The NC leader said that the only solution to all these complex problems is holding of elections to the J&K Assembly.
Panther’s party extends support to Jammu Bandh call
J&K National Panthers Party has extended support to the ‘Jammu bandh’ call given by Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CII) against imposition of property tax in Jammu and Kashmir.
In the meeting chaired by JKNPP President Vilakshan Singh, members unanimously resolved to support the Jammu Bandh call.
Singh said that post Covid-19, it has become difficult for the people to return to their normal life while the government did not provide any incentive to the masses to get them out of the financial crunch being faced by them. Singh said that by imposing property tax the government had added fuel to the fire.
The NPP president said that there is no elected government in J&K. “Bureaucrats have illegally assumed the functions of legislature thereby defeating the basic concept of democracy”.
He said that in a democracy the will of the public is supreme. But in J&K democracy has been strangulated and the assembly elections are deliberately being delayed as the people have made up their mind to teach BJP a strong lesson in assembly elections.
Singh said that the UT administration had turned a deaf ear to the genuine grievances of the public. He said that youth, daily wagers, migrant employees, reserved category employees all are on the roads but the government has utterly failed to redress their genuine grievances. Singh demanded immediate withdrawal of property tax so that the public may not suffer.
Congress holds ‘Hath se Hath Jodo’ campaign in Reasi
Jammu, Mar 10: The Congress’ Jammu and Kashmir unit’s ‘Hath se Hath Jodo’ yatra on Friday reached Katra in Reasi district, with leaders taking out a march to oppose a ropeway project and imposition of property tax in the Union Territory.
Led by Pradesh Congress Committee president Vikar Raool Wani and working president Raman Bhalla, party workers raised slogans demanding that the Jammu and Kashmir administration withdraw the property tax notification.
They also alleged that the ropeway to the Mata Vaishno Devi temple on the Trikuta hills will render locals jobless and people were against the project.
Under the ‘Hath se Hath Jodo’ campaign, the Congress also raised issues of restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and assembly elections in the Union Territory, a party spokesman said, adding that the march was from the Shalimar Park to the Katra Bus Stand.
“Hath se Hath Jodo yatra cum agitation programme is the second phase of Bharat Jodo Yatra. This will culminate at the end of this month, covering various districts and constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir,” Wani said addressing a gathering.
He accused the BJP government at the Centre and Lt Governor-led Union Territory administration of ignoring issues of people.
