Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 16: Vehemently opposing the NHAI notification to levy road tax at Ban-Samba and Jammu- Udhampur National Highway, Panthers Party urged the Government of India to keep this decision in abeyance in the larger interest of the people of the State.
Former MLA Udhampur and NPP president, Balwant Singh Mankotia in a press statement said that the mega road projects are still under execution and have not been completed as yet and it may take some time for their completion. He said that the Government has not paid the compensation to the residents whose lands and houses were used and demolished for the construction of the highway and now NHAI instead of providing compensation to the stake holders are only bothered about levying the taxes in the interests of the private companies which had executed the projects.
Mr Mankotia sought the intervention of Governor NN Vohra by submitting a memorandum and hoped that the matter will be taken up at the appropriate level to save the people of the State. He said that the economy of the State is mainly dependent on tourism and levying such taxes would only affect and discourage the tourism business and allied sectors.
Moreover, the pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi and other shrines would also bear the financial burden if such taxes are levied. Mr Mankotia said that the visitors, travelers, tourists including the yatris would bear the burden of toll tax, road tax, Traffic expenditure, highway tax etc which shall only lead to their deviation to other alternative destinations thus affecting the tourism revenue of the State.
The NPP leader asserted that J&K State needed special dispensation for tourism promotion and as such made an appeal to the Government of India to announce a special package of incentives for pilgrims and tourists visiting the State from all across the country instead of levying taxes.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel