PHOTO: REUTERS
This was decided in the 34th session of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) which met at the Pakistan-China Friendship Centre on Wednesday. The session was presided over by Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz.
The House approved minutes of the 33rd Session of the IMC.
The meeting then turned its attention to key matters on the agenda, including the imposition of property tax on housing societies and model villages within the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
Members of the local government of the city were briefed that thus far, the property tax was being collected from the urban sectors of the federal capital.
However, after the establishment of the IMC and the definition of its jurisdiction — which saw them being extended to the rural areas of the city, property tax could also be imposed by the corporation in these areas.
After a detailed discussion on the matter, the house decided to set up a committee which will submit recommendations before the house on imposing a property tax.
In light of the orders issued by the Supreme Court regarding the imposition of charges on extracting underground water, the House considered and approved a move to collect Rs2 per litter from the companies selling mineral or bottled water in the city.
The water tax will comprise of two components. The first part, equal to Re1, is for extracting underground water in light of orders from the top court and will be deposited in the Prime Minister-Chief Justice of Pakistan Dam Fund.
The other rupee will go to the IMC and will be used to provide clean drinking water apart from uplifting the water supply system.
Earlier at the beginning of Wednesday’s session, Aziz placed a resolution before the house regarding Indian aggression across the Line of Control which saw Indian warplanes violate Pakistan’s airspace before jettisoning their payload which exploded in the Jabba area near Balakot in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
The resolution received support from both sides of the aisle in the house and was unanimously passed. IMC members condemned the cowardly action of India and expressed their resolve that every citizen, including children, of the federal capital, stand with the military for defending the motherland.
The session was attended by members of the IMC apart from officers from different departments of the corporation.
Tree plantation
The Capital Development Authority (CDA), the Islamabad Capital Administration (ICT) in collaboration with the Environment Wing of Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) launched a tree-plantation campaign in Sector E-10 of Islamabad.
Officers of the CDA, ICT and the IMC participated in the Tree Plantation Campaign.
The campaign was launched in connection with the Clean and Green Pakistan campaign under which 150 million species of trees will be planted across the country in 2019.
Under the campaign, people — especially the youth — of the federal capital would be encouraged to participate in the plantation drive and make Islamabad clean and green.
All open areas will be targeted in the campaign and saplings in the different areas of the ICT, including along the avenues, in the green belts, on the sides of highways, in the parks, playgrounds and under developing sectors would be planted.
Meanwhile, the CDA has collaborated with other concerned departments to restore the green character of the city. The authority will also assist the IMC in providing saplings for free and will also help the IMC in establishing points at prominent places of the Islamabad from where citizens can obtain plants, awareness and informative material.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 28th, 2019.
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