Jammu, March 31 (Scoop News) – Terming the Property Tax Board Bill, which was passed by the Assembly despite strong resentment of the entire opposition, as draconian and anti-people law to bulldoze the poor masses, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today regretted that the arrogant government was not ready to even accommodate some valuable suggestions given by the opposition members to protect interests of the poor people.
PDP members, who staged walkout with the other members of the opposition parties, regretted that government was adamant to get this Bill passed despite being the fact that this Bill would put huge burden on the poor people of the State.
Interacting with media persons after staging a walkout Deputy Leader of PDP in the Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rehman Veeri said that his party had strongly opposed this Bill because common man would be the worst suffer of this move of the government.
Veeri, who was member of the Select Committee which had discussed this Bill, said that he had staged walkout during the proceeding of the Committee because the Bill was not in the interest of the common people.
He regretted that with one stroke the government has brought all people under the purview of this Bill without differentiating poor and rich. “Before passing of the Bill, Government should had to qualify on whom property tax should be imposed?”, he observed but regretted that all persons even poor have been brought under the purview of this Bill. “We are not against imposing property tax on those who have huge wealth but poor people living in towns should not be brought the purview of this law”, he demanded and pointed out that in some houses more than a couple of families have been living but they have to pay the property tax, as per this Bill. He further added that some people have constructed houses after getting loans from the banks. Even some unemployed people have constructed houses through loans. Veeri regretted that government has prepared and passed the Bill without going through the details and ground situation.
Another PDP leader Choudhary Zulfikar observed that entire opposition was united on this issue but the government was not ready to accommodate suggestions of the opposition. “In a democratic system, voice of the opposition should also be given due consideration”, he maintained but regretted that present government in the State was not ready to even listen to the dissent voice. He reminded that government had tried to make similar law in the year 2000 but failed to do so due to resentment showed by the opposition members. He said that this Bill was anti-people but the government was adamant to get this Bill passed in the Legislative Assembly.
MLA Langate Er Rasheed also expressed deep anguish and displeasure over the passage of Bill said the step goes against the concept of a welfare state.
Responding to the said Bill in the Assembly today, he said that the Select Committee to which the Bill was referred was not taken into consideration before the Bill was brought in the House . “I too was member of the Select Committee, but my viewpoint was not considered before the Bill was brought in the House,” he said. MLA Langate termed the new tax as a “total harsh and anti-people measure”, saying now people will have to pay tax just for sitting in their homes. “We claim to be residents of a welfare State, but it is against the concept of welfare state when we ask people to pay money just for possessing a shelter,” he rued.
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