In a major relief for local residents, who were earlier up in arms against the levy of property tax, the Kharar Municipal Council (MC) has again decided to withdraw the imposition of property tax on self-occupied property.

In a meeting chaired by president Sukhwant Singh and attended by all the 14 councillors, the civic body unanimously resolved to cancel the property tax assessment for 2007-08 and withdraw the bills issued for 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Taking up the demand note submitted by the Beopar Mandal on behalf of the local traders, the civic body resolved to continue with the old system of house tax on rented properties with the provision of 10-15 per cent increase on the old assessment.

The Municipal Council endorsed the resolution adopted by the previous civic body on March 24 last, wherein the property tax on self-occupied properties was withdrawn and assessment for 2007-08 cancelled.

However, the previous Municipal Council resolution was rejected by the state government, following which, the civic body had recently issued bills amounting to thousands of rupees to the single owner of a self-occupied property, leading to widespread resentment.

The civic body has also decided to withdraw the property tax bills issued to the local residents on the basis of cancelled assessment of 2007-08.

It urged the state government to appoint a private technical agency to conduct a fresh assessment of new buildings, which did not exist during the previous assessment.

The Municipal Council, agreeing with the objections of the residents, termed the property tax assessment as “faulty”.

Municipal Council vice-president Jai Bhagwan Singla said the residents were not against the levy but the heavy rate, which, he demanded, should be brought down to a reasonable level.