Life came to a halt in Jammu today due to a shutdown being observed in the city to protest the imposition of property tax in the erstwhile state.

According to reports, public and private transport ins plying normally, however, most shops and business establishments remain shuttered due to a bandh called by the Chamber of Commerce and Industries Jammu (CCIJ) which is being supported by several groups including the J&K High Court Bar Association, who have suspended work in all courts in the Union Territory in support of the shutdown call.

CCIJ President Arun Gupta in a statement that the administration issued an order to impose the tax without bothering to consult stakeholders or ask for opinion from the general public.

In a statement issued in response to the bandh, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha assured residents their interests have been taken care of and that lowest property tax rates in the country will be imposed in the former state.

Sinha said the people’s interest is the top priority for the administration and he’s open for dialogue regarding any suggestions or relief in connection with the property tax order.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration recently issued an order according to which property tax will be levied on residential and commercial properties from April this year.

The decision to impose property tax has sparked outrage and has become a rallying cry for various political parties in the erstwhile state with the even the state wing of the ruling BJP distancing itself from the controversial decision.

Former chief minister and National Conference Omar Abdullah gave a rallying cry of “no taxation without representation” after the tax order was issued. Omar was referring to the fact that Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government for past five years and LG administration’s decisions are being questioned from several quarters for being allegedly “agenda-driven” and “politically-motivated.”

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