Will get chopper tax on pilgrims withdrawn, says state BJP chief

New state BJP president Sat Sharma has vowed to get ‘jaziya’ levied on Vaishno Devi pilgrims withdrawn.
In an Interview, Sat Sharma, also sitting MLA from Jammu West, said, “This is the main demand of the party. We will take up the issue of withdrawing the tax on pilgrims with the government again.”
On September 2, the Finance Department issued a notification, directing Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, to impose 12.5 per cent service tax on pilgrims travelling by helicopter. This was being seen as interference in the working of the shrine board, an autonomous body managing the shrine.
The decision of the Finance Department was criticised by the BJP, a part of the government. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had criticised the decision of the state government to impose tax on pilgrims.
Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh had given an assurance to the general public and his party that the tax would be withdrawn within a few days, but nothing had been done yet.
Sharma said his main priority would be to strengthen the lower cadre of the party to win more seats in the upcoming local body and panchayat elections in the state. A decision on contesting the elections in alliance with the PDP was pending.
“My first priority will be to strengthen the lower cadre, which is the backbone of our party. I hope that we will win the maximum seats in local body elections as well as panchayat polls,” he said confidently.
“We may or may not contest the elections in alliance with our coalition partner. The core committee will decide on the issue later,” he added.
Sharma said the party would work on developing a bridge between the two regions during his tenure and prepare the ground for the BJP in Kashmir for the next Assembly elections.
“My tenure as party president is for three years. We will try to prepare the ground for the BJP in Kashmir so that the requirement of seats to form the government independently can be met,” said the state BJP chief.
“We have more than 3 lakh members in the Valley. The situation has been changed to the extent that we need to elect district presidents in Kashmir, where we use to nominate district presidents earlier,” he added.