Exempted from property tax, Karnal crematorium gets notice

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, January 2

A crematorium in Karnal is facing a threat of attachment for not “depositing property tax”. However, cremation grounds are exempted from paying property tax.

The Karnal Municipal Corporation (KMC) has served notice to the management of the crematorium to deposit Rs 28.59 lakh as property tax. If not done, the property of the crematorium would be attached.

As per the notification of Haryana Urban Local Bodies 2013, cremation grounds are exempted from property tax.

The notice is addressed to owner of ‘Swarag Ashram’, gali number 11, Gandhi Nagar, Karnal, asking to pay pending property tax since 2010-11 amounting to Rs 28,59,648. If not done, the KMC can recover pending dues under Section 130 of the Municipal Corporation Act 1994, which empowers the Municipal Corporation to recover such money on account of property tax including the cost of recovery by attaching and sale of defaulters’ immovable property, the notice stated.

Mayor Renu Bala Gupta has sought report from the branch concerned for issuing the notice to the cremation ground. “I have sought a report from the property tax branch. Cremation grounds are exempted from any kind of property tax,” said Mayor Gupta.

She said that nobody is allowed to hurt the sentiments of anyone. If it has been done intentionally, action would be initiated against the person concerned. If it has been done by mistake, it will be corrected.

The management of the cremation ground approached Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday and raised the issue. “We came to know about this issue last week when the KMC pasted the notice on the gate of the cremation ground. We met the CM during his visit to Karnal on Sunday and raised the issue. The CM has assured us that no property tax would be charged for the area of the cremation ground,” said Hukam Chand Munjal, secretary, Gandhi Nagar Shivpuri.

Dheeraj Kumar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, admitted that notice had been served to the owner of the cremation ground but now, it has been put on hold. He said that earlier, there was a saw mill at this place and the assessment of the property was done on the basis of that mill. He said that the cremation ground has shops which are paying rent. “I have asked the branch concerned to rectify the bill and exclude the cremation ground area. Property tax will be charged only for the rented shops,” he said.

On the other hand, Hukam Chand Munjal denied the claim of the Deputy Municipal Commissioner and said that the cremation ground has been running at this place for the past 57 years. They have only four shops on rent and there was no saw mill here earlier.