Rajinder Nagarkoti
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 28
On the pattern of Punjab, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation is set to exempt defence personnel (serving and retired) from paying house tax. The agenda in this regard will come up for discussion in the MC House meeting on March 30. The agenda was proposed by nominated councillor Maj DS Sandhu (retd). Last year, the UT Administration had partially exempted 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 said the defence personnel should be given complete exemption from house tax on the pattern of Punjab. In Punjab, there are 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. Partial relief meant for only 1 % defence personnal Nominated councillor Maj DS Sandhu (retd) said the partial relief granted by the UT Administration only benefitted 1 per cent defence personnal of the city. A majority of them were not benefitted because of two conditions—no relief for rented portion of the house and exemption up to 300 sq yards are not in interst of the majority. Cong, BJP likely to support agenda during MC House meetingEyeing the next MC elections in December this year, both the Congress and the BJP are likely to support the agenda of complete exemption of house tax for defence personnel. Therefore, the agenda is likely to be passed in the MC House meeting.