Jat Stir: Haryana Announces Property Tax Waiver For Victims

The Jat agitation over the demand for their inclusion in the Other Backward Casts (OBC) category had started off as a peaceful demonstration. But the 10-day long stir ended up causing huge damage to life and property. The states that were affected by the agitation included Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Region (NCR). While as many as 30 people were reportedly killed during the stir, “the total loss suffered by the railways on account of damage to property and cancellation of tickets during the Jat agitation is about Rs 55.92 crore” Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu had informed the Lok Sabha.

Giving in to their demands, the Haryana government in March decided to include this agricultural community in the OBC category, thus, making them eligible for a 10 per cent quota in government jobs. (The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently ruled out the Bill passed by Haryana in this regard.)

However, those who suffered damages because of the agitation had to console themselves with a waiver the Haryana government provided them in the form of an electricity bill waiver earlier. So, when the urban-local bodies department in the state recently notified that it would provide a 100 per cent property tax waiver to the properties affected due to the agitation, it came as a massive relief for many. Under the scheme, affected commercial and residential properties will enjoy the rebate for a period of one year — April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017.  

 It is to be noted that prime properties in Haryana and Rajasthan — these include government building too — were severely damaged and a property tax waiver may be too meagre a meet the kind of losses they incurred. However, late as it may have come, the assistance from the state government would certainly be a breather for property owners in the state. Other states should also come forward and follow the steps taken by Haryana, and also come up with better ways to compensate those who were at the receiving end of the protests. The aggrieved parties certainly deserve more attention from the government.

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