AGENDA TO COME UP FOR APPROVAL IN MC HOUSE MEETING ON FRIDAY, TO COVER BOTH RETIRED, SERVING PERSONNEL
CHANDIGARH: All retired and serving defence personnel living in the city may soon be exempted from paying house tax. The municipal corporation will take up the matter for approval during the House meet on Friday.
The move will benefit 834 defence personnel in the city.
MC commissioner KK Yadav said the move is a token of respect for the defence personnel for their contribution towards the country. Mayor Davesh Moudgil said the city is proud to have so many veterans and serving officers whose contribution to the nation is remarkable.
A similar agenda was moved earlier too, but was rejected by the Chandigarh administration, as even family members of defence personnel had been added as beneficiaries.
Yadav said in the fresh agenda, the exemption is proposed only for the personnel. “Those having properties in their names will get the benefit,” he said.
Yadav said the MC will incur ₹35-lakh revenue loss because of the move, but it is nothing in comparison to the contribution of defence personnel. He clarified that there is no exemption on commercial properties owned by defence personnel.
PROPERTY TAX IN EXEMPTED VILLAGES The MC will also table the agenda on imposing property tax in five villages. Of 23 villages in Chandigarh, Burail, Kajheri, Attawa, Buterla, Badheri, Palsora, Maloya, Dadumajra, Hallomajra and Manimajra fall under the jurisdiction of the civic body while the rest are under the UT administration’s jurisdiction. However, commercial units in Hallomajra, Kajheri, Palsora, Maloya and Dadumajra are exempted from property tax so far.
In October 2015, the UT administration had asked the MC to consider implementing property tax in these villages, but whenever the agenda came up in the House meetings, councillors rejected it stating that the villages should be provided basic amenities first.
Yadav said the UT administration has clarified that there is no provision in property tax bylaws making it mandatory for the civic body to carry out development works before imposing tax.
“While the civic body has been making efforts to improve infrastructure in villages, people living in villages will need to pay property tax without any condition. We have placed the agenda for the House consideration,” he said. During a survey, the MC had found over 2,500 commercial units in the villages. It was recommended that the commercial properties of these villages be included under the self-assessment scheme.