Rawalpindi: Chaklala Cantt. to impose tax on 5-marla plots having no building plans

[Naveed Yaseen]

Saeed Ahmed

Taking a leaf out of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) book, the Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) has decided to impose property tax on those owners of five-marla plots who do not have building plans.

The law, which is already effective in the RCB jurisdiction, will make the owner of a five-marla plot to either get the building plan made or pay development charges for the covered area on his plot to exempt himself or herself from payment of property tax.

The decision is beneficial for the Chaklala Cantonment Board both ways, as a handsome amount would be generated through the scheme.

Well-placed sources told ‘The News’ that about 40 per cent of people having properties up to 5 marlas do not have any building plans. The situation, they said, would be beneficial for the CCB.

Sources said that the federal government has given a nod for amendments in clauses of the Chaklala Cantonment Board Act. According to them, the new law by the Chaklala Cantonment Board was directed at owners who had violated building bye-laws.

According to sources, the CCB Building Department has already prepared a list of violators of building bye-laws. The list has been submitted to the Military Lands and Cantonments director as well as station commander. In the next phase, the cantonment board, after enforcement of the new law, would issue notices to violators. The cantonment board would ask them to get building plans made otherwise they would not be exempted from payment of property tax.

Those owners, who are not in a position to get building plans made, would be directed to pay development charges of the total covered areas of their houses to get exemption from property tax.

Commenting over the issue, Chaklala Cantonment Board Chief Executive Officer Khurshid Ali Khan told ‘The News’ that after enactment of the new law, owners of up to five-marla houses, having no building plans, would be bound to either pay property tax or get building plans made. “In case of failure, they would be directed to pay development charges to exempt themselves from property tax,” he added.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=183876