5 bills introduced in Haryana Assembly, 5 passed

Chandigarh: Five bills, including the Haryana Urban Immovable Property Tax (Validation of Lists) Repeal Bill, 2022, were passed in the Haryana Assembly on the first day of its session here on Monday.

A total of 15 bills, including the Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Amendment Bill, 2022, were introduced on the first day of the three-day Assembly session. Five of the 15 bills -- the Haryana Urban Immovable Property Tax (Validation of Lists) Repeal Bill, 2022, the Haryana Small Towns (Tax-Validating) Repeal Bill, 2022, the Haryana Municipal (Tax-Validating) Repeal Bill, 2022, the Haryana Minor Canals (Repeal) Bill, 2022 and the Haryana State Tube-Well (Repeal) Bill, 2022 -- were passed.

The Haryana Urban Immovable Property Tax (Validation of Lists) Repeal Bill, 2022 was passed to repeal the Haryana Urban Immovable Property Tax (Validation of Lists) Act, 1943. A committee formed under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd) Iqbal Singh to identify such laws that are not in harmony with the existing climate of economic liberalisation and need to be changed or repealed had recommended to repeal the Haryana Urban Immovable Property Tax (Validation of Lists) Act, 1943. Property tax as well as other applicable taxes are being levied and collected in accordance with the provisions of the Haryana Municipal Act, 1973 and the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994.

As such the Haryana Urban Immovable Property Tax (Validation of Lists) Act, 1943 has no force and value to deal with the present scenario of taxation validations in the municipalities and hence, it is necessary to repeal it, according to the objects of the bill. The 10 other bills introduced in the House included the Haryana Shree Mata Bhimeshwari Devi Mandir (Ashram), Beri Shrine Bill, 2022, the Haryana Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2022, the Haryana Rural Development (Amendment) Bill, 2022, the Haryana Enterprises Promotion (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the Haryana Legislative Assembly (Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members) Second Amendment Bill, 2022.

The Faridabad Metropolitan Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2022, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2022, the Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Amendment Bill, 2022, the Haryana Municipal Corporation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the Haryana Municipal (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022 were also tabled in the Assembly. The Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Amendment Bill, introduced by Home Minister Anil Vij, paves the way for setting up an ad-hoc committee of 41 members to manage and supervise the Sikh shrines in the state. It will continue to hold the charge till a new committee is formed.

The Supreme Court had earlier upheld the constitutional validity of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act, 2014, under which a separate committee was formed to manage the affairs of the gurdwaras in the state. The Haryana Legislative Assembly (Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members) Second Amendment Bill was introduced in the House by minister Kanwar Pal. According to the bill, a new section 3E shall be inserted in the Act under which a member shall be entitled to a driver's allowance of Rs 20,000 per month, which the Assembly Secretariat may pay to the person to be notified by the member to work as his or her driver.