RAWALPINDI: Even 12 years after being exempted from the property tax, owners of five-marla houses in the cantonment and city areas have not been issued the exemption certificate.In 2004, the then chief minister Pervaiz Elahi had exempted the owners of houses measuring five marlas and below from the property tax.

Though the PML-N has been in power in the province for the last eight years, it never opposed the decision. However, the cantonment boards are still in no mood to provide the relief to the residents.

In the city areas, the excise and taxation department is trying to recover the dues ofproperty tax the owners of five-marla houses owed to the department before 2004.

`The arrears have swelled to Rs200 million in the garrison city and the residents are reluctant to clear the dues on the basis of promises made by the ruling party,` said a senior ofñcial of the excise and taxation department.

He said the department had written a letter to the provincial government to waive the arrears but it did not reply. He said the department was in an awkward situation as if it takes action against the defaulters, the latter move the courts.

The Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) vice-president, Raja Irfan Imtiaz, told Dawn that the bureaucracy was creating hurdles in the issuance of the tax exemption certiñcates and even in the sale and transfer of such properties.

`We have received more than 40 applications in the last two months seeking the exemption certificates and the transfer of property but the CCB officials are creating unnecessary objections by asking for the land record or Fard, building plans and previous taxes.

He said people were approaching theirelected representatives to make the system easy but they were helpless to resolve the issue.

Mr Imtiaz said the transfer of land and property generated revenues for the civic body, adding it should simplify the procedure so that the citizens can get the work done without any hurdles.

He said the issue was taken up with the station commander and other officers of the military land and cantonments department. The matter would also be discussed in the Chaklala Cantonment Board meeting scheduled to be held in the first week of June.

When contacted, Chaklala cantonment executive officer, Rana Raffique Khan, said five-marla houses were already exempted from the tax and for the transfer of land and exemption certificates the applicants should produce the documentary evidence of ownership.

He said for the transfer of property, Fard of the land and other documents were necessary to avoid chances of fraud. He said the residents of the cantonment should visit the CCB offices to get their work done with documentary evidence. No official isallowed to create hurdles in the genuine work of the citizens, he added.

In Rawalpindi Cantonment, the residents of more than 30,000 small housing units are also facing similar problems.

Strangely, the RCB officials are also seeking the details of water charges and taxes paid by the owners before 2004.

Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) vice-president Raja Jehandad Khan said the residents were approaching the elected members with complaints against the RCB for not issuing the tax exemption certificates to the owners of five-marla houses.

He said the elected members had decided to take up the issue with the PML-N leadership so that they would ask the defence minister to issue a guideline for the civic body.

He said the civic body should facilitate the citizens instead of creating problems for them. There is a need to empower the elected representatives through legislation, he added.

Rawalpindi Cantonment executive officer, Dr Saima Shah, could not be contacted for comments.