Srinagar- The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Provincial Vice President Kashmir and In-Charge Constituency Sonwar Ahsan Pardesi on Saturday took strong exception to serving of warrant regarding paying property taxes by Badami Bagh Cantonment Board (BBCB), which falls under the Ministry of Defense, to the residents of Batwara, shivpora, indra Nagar and partly Sonwar in Srinagar.

In a statement, censuring the Badami Bagh cantonment board authorities for serving warrant order which amounts to attachment of properties to the residential and commercial units within its jurisdiction, Ahsan Pardesi said National conference strongly condemns unwarranted order issued to the residents of localities including Shivpora, Batwara Indra Nagar and partly Sonwar who have received warrant orders from the Board which has caused unrest and mental agony among the inhabitants of these areas.

While expressing his displeasure at the decision, he said such a move would only add to the miseries of locals, who have snapped their strength to make such out-of-pocket expenditures due to the undergoing economic downturn induced by the deluge of 2014 and Covid-19. The locals households and traders it is germane to mention had suffered due to the ravaging impact the deluge of 2014 incurred on them.

"On behalf of residents of Batwara, shivpora, Indra Nagar and partly Sonwar. I appeal to hon'ble Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to look into the matter and do the needful to give respite to the locals residing there," Pardasi said in the statement.

Pardesi said LG Sinha had last year said that the JK administration would not impose any property tax on the people. "It was clearly mentioned by LG Sahab that no such tax would be levied by the incumbent JK administration. Why are the localities within the jurisdiction of BBCB being singled out," he argued.