‘Property Tax imposed in J&K lowest in country’
*Even those who are capable of paying (don’t want to pay)
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 24: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today declared that Property Tax imposed in Jammu and Kashmir is lowest in the country but still there is hue and cry.
Speaking at the launching event of the extension of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) at SKUAST Jammu, Sinha said the Government hardly gets any water and power revenue from the people and there is lowest Property Tax in J&K but still there is hue and cry over it.
Click here to watch video
Almost all political parties and organizations have been protesting over imposition of Property Tax in Jammu and Kashmir though the Government has compared the tax rate with other States and lowest slabs have been fixed here in the UT.
“People pay for purchase of i-phones, use of internet data and playing video games. Even those who are capable of paying (the taxes don’t want to pay),” the Lieutenant Governor said in an indirect dig at opponents of the Property Tax.
He said that money collected from the Property Tax will be used for welfare and development of the people.
Asserting that the people are supreme and administration has to watch their interests, he said a way out has to be found.
On PMFBY function, Sinha said the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will benefit out of this.
“Jammu and Kashmir has become first region in the country where large scale reforms have been undertaken in agriculture and allied sectors. It is our endeavour to generate large scale employment in the agriculture sector, ensure economic stability for farmers especially the small and marginal and facilitate setting up of new agriculture business enterprises,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
“We are moving ahead with a strong resolve to bring prosperity in the lives of our farming community and other stakeholders associated with agriculture and allied sector,” he added and said the administration is also promoting entrepreneurship in the sheep and goat sector and encouraging the farmers to adopt millet crops.
He reiterated the administration’s commitment to safeguard interests of the people.
An official handout said :-
In a significant move towards welfare of the farmers, the Government has extended Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to the farmers of all 20 districts of UT of J&K.
Speaking at the launching event of the extension of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana at SKUAST Jammu, the Lt Governor said that the scheme will provide comprehensive coverage against crop losses arising out of natural calamities and unseasonal rains.
“The initiative will stabilize the income of farmers, encourage them to adopt innovative practices with sufficient insurance protection from climatic catastrophe. I urge all the farmers to avail the benefits of PM Fasal Bima Yojna,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that PMFBY launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to secure hardworking farmers from the vagaries of nature was earlier available to only four districts of farmers.
The Lt Governor noted that the implementation of PMFBY across the UT will have a positive impact on the agricultural scenario in Jammu Kashmir and also complement the efforts of UT administration in creating a progressive environment.
“Proper dissemination of relevant information and transparency in the implementation of PMFBY will be ensured. Crop insurance mobile app, Toll free number of the insurance company will facilitate the farmers to report about the losses,” he added.
Sinha highlighted the agriculture reforms introduced in J&K in the past 30 months.
“The welfare of the farmers is our top-most priority. The UT administration has taken major decisions in the agriculture, horticulture and allied sectors to shape the vision of inclusive development,” said the Lt Governor.
“I am confident that the Agriculture and allied sectors will guide the prosperous future of Jammu Kashmir. The groundbreaking 29 projects worth Rs.5013 crore for the holistic development of agriculture & allied sectors will provide an integrated solution to all issues related to agriculture & allied sectors with a mechanism to reduce wastage and increasing the production,” he added.
“With meticulous implementation of the Holistic Agriculture Development Plan, we can achieve 12% growth in the agriculture sector,” he observed.
The Lt Governor appreciated the Agriculture production and allied departments for providing training to a large number of farmers.
He further emphasized on dedicated and collective efforts to transform J&K into the number one region in terms of farmers’ income and sought people’s participation in implementation of Government policies.
Citizen participation is crucial to foster economic growth, strengthening of infrastructure and services to achieve the goal of a prosperous society, he said.
Progressive farmers also shared their views on interventions of the Government aiming at growth of Agriculture & Allied Sectors in J&K.
On the occasion, Agriculture Production Department signed an MoU with National Seeds Corporation to provide good quality certified seeds to the farmers of Jammu and Kashmir.
The occasion also witnessed the release of the Milestone Report & Logo of Holistic Agriculture Development Plan and a Coffee table book “Vihan” on 29 projects under HADP by the Lt Governor.
Irrigation schedule 2023-24 for both Jammu and Kashmir divisions was released, besides sanction letters were handed over to beneficiary entrepreneurs under National Livestock Mission.
A dedicated YouTube channel of the Agriculture Production department for awareness of farmers and promoting their success stories was also launched.
Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department; Prof. Nazir Ah. Ganai, Vice Chancellor SKUAST-Jammu; HoDs; senior officials, members of the Kissan Advisory Board and farmers in large numbers were present on the occasion.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
