Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 30

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation today during its monthly General House meeting completely exempted defence personnel (serving and retired) from paying house tax on the pattern of Punjab. The agenda, which was proposed by nominated councillor Maj DS Sandhu (retd), was unanimously passed by all the councillors.Now, for the final approval, the matter will be forwarded to the UT Administration.Last year, the UT Administration had partially exempted the defence personnel (serving and retired) from paying house tax. Those owning land up to 300 sq yards were exempted from paying the tax. Besides, the relief was not available for the portion, which was rented out.Sandhu had demanded that in Punjab, there were no such conditions like exemption up to 300 sq yards and no relief on rented property so in Chandigarh too such conditions should be removed, he said. In 2014, the MC in its House meeting had approved an agenda for the exemption of house and property tax for 12,000 families of defence personnel settled in the city.But thereafter, the MC’s tax branch in its letter to the Secretary, Local Government Department, UT Administration, stated there was no provision to exempt defence personnel (serving or retired and their families) from payment of house and property tax on residential lands and buildings.