NC, PDP, and CPI(M) stages protest against imposition of property tax in Jammu

Jammu, Mar 1 (PTI) National Conference, People’s Democratic Party and CPI(M) on Wednesday staged separate protests here against the imposition of property tax and demanded immediate roll back of the decision.

Members of the National Conference (NC) led by their provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta took to the streets outside the party’s headquarters at Residency Road and raised slogans against the Jammu and Kashmir administration for imposing the tax.

Terming the implementation of the property tax in absence of an elected government in the Union Territory as “arbitrary and undemocratic”, he said the administration is taking decisions without consulting even the 30,000 elected public representatives of Jammu and Kashmir.

“The proxy BJP government has been thrusting only anti-people policies. Instead of giving some relief to the people in J&K where the unemployment rate is highest among the states and union territories across the nation. The property tax will put more burden on the people,” Gupta said.

Former minister and central zonal president of the NC, Babu Rampal, claimed that nearly 80 per cent of the population, residing in urban areas, will be directly affected by the tax.

“Today the people of Jammu and Kashmir are feeling betrayed by the abrogation of Article 370 as the situation has turned from bad to worse post abrogation. Every section of society stands adversely affected by the anti-people policies of the BJP government,” he said.

PDP activists held a demonstration at Purani Mandi in the city against the property tax and alleged failure of the BJP to provide security to minority community members in the Kashmir Valley where a Kashmiri Pandit was recently shot dead in Pulwama district.

“Imposition of property tax is to further weaken the people economically. We request the Lt Governor to revoke the order as the public is not in a position to pay property tax,” PDP spokesperson Varinder Singh Sonu said.

He said all sections of society, whether businessmen, farmers or a youngster looking for a job, are distressed due to the “wrong policies” of the administration.

Sonu also sought adequate compensation to the family of Kashmiri Pandit Sanjay Sharma who was shot dead by terrorists in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Sunday and said his killing exposed the government claims of normalcy.

CPI(M) activists led by senior leader Om Prakash took to the streets outside the Maharaja Hari Singh park in the city against imposition of property tax.

“The people are fed up with the implementation of black laws by the Lt Governor led administration to harass the public,” he said, adding the party will stage a protest outside Parliament next month if the property tax notification was not revoked.

Meanwhile, Apni party provincial president and former minister S Manjit Singh also criticised the government for imposing “unilateral decisions” regarding property tax despite massive resentment among the people.

“Government is working against the wishes of the people and imposing decisions without consultation with the elected representatives in urban local bodies and other sectors,” he said addressing party workers at Vijaypur in Samba district.