Villages merged with Kunihar nagar panchayat to get tax rebate

The residents of the merged areas of Kunihar Nagar Panchayat (NP) have been exempted from the payment of the property tax for a period of three years.

They will continue to get the customary rights provided in the Record of Rights as before, said the Additional Deputy Commissioner Solan Ajay Yadav.

The state government has notified Nagar Panchayat Kunihar in Solan district under sub-section (1) of section 80 and sub-section (7) of section 4 of the Municipal Corporation Act, 1994.

Under the Kunihar nagar panchayat, a total area of 19,17,327 sq m has been included in the Kunihar. This includes 3,16,873 sq m of Thavna of Patwar Circle Kunihar, 3,43,979 sq m of Kothi First of Patwar Circle Hatkot, 5,70,187 sq m of Hatkot of Patwar Circle Hatkot, 1,81,112 sq m of Kothi Second of Patwar Circle Hatkot, 3,94,047 sq m of Uncha Village of Patwar Circle Kunihar and 1,11,129 sq m of Pulhada of Patwar Circle Hatkot have been included in the notification. These revenue areas fall in the three panchayats of Kunihar, Koti and Hatkot panchayats.

While Thawna, Hatkot, Kothi-First and Up Mahal Kothi Second have been fully included in the new civic body, Unchagaon and Up Mahal Pulhara have been partially incorporated as per the November 23 notification. Public objections were invited within a period of two weeks and after being considered by the state government, the Urban Development Department issued the final notification of the merger last evening.

The upgrade of the Kunihar panchayat into a nagar panchayat is slated to fetch central assistance for the upgrade of the civic infrastructure in this rural area. With the panchayats having no funds for laying sewage lines or augmenting water supply in the rural areas, the upgraded urban local body can seek funds under various Central schemes.

Kunihar and its adjoining rural areas have acquired an urban character with the presence of state and national highways and large-scale expansion of trading activities. Though a section of the villagers had protested the move, the state government notified the boundaries of the upgraded urban body last evening after considering the objections.

MLA Arki Sanjay Awasthi said that the state government would work to uplift the civic amenities of the area by providing adequate water, sewage and other facilities.