Chandigarh Traders Association Urges Chief Secretary to Reconsider Steep Tax Hikes
A delegation from the Chandigarh Traders Association, Sector 17, led by President Kamaljit Singh Panchhi, met with the Chief Secretary of Chandigarh at the UT Secretariat to voice strong opposition to recent hikes in property tax and other regulatory penalties.
The delegation—which included Mandeep Singh, Amit Jain, Naresh Bansal, and Vikas Battha—urged the administration to roll back the sharp increase in property tax rates. Mr. Panchhi termed the hike “unjustified and unacceptable” to the city’s trading community, pointing out that the commercial property tax has doubled from 3% to 6%, while residential property tax has tripled from 3% to 9%.
“Implementing such steep increases all at once is unreasonable and will put excessive financial strain on property owners,” Mr. Panchhi stated.
The delegation also raised alarm over proposed changes to penalty structures for bylaw violations. Under the new rules, fines could rise from Rs 500 to Rs 1 lakh, especially targeting commercial building violations. The daily fine for continuing violations has been hiked dramatically from Rs 20 to Rs 4,000—a move the Association believes will severely impact traders and business owners.
Another major concern highlighted was the abrupt increase in collector rates across Chandigarh, which came into effect on April 1, 2025. According to the delegation, the sudden change has left many property buyers in limbo. Several individuals who had purchased stamp papers under the old rates were unable to register their sale deeds, as the Estate Office reportedly stopped taking appointments even before the March 31 deadline.
In response, the Chief Secretary assured the delegation that the matter would be taken up with urgency and that appropriate steps would be considered to address public concerns.
The Association members expressed hope that the administration would take timely action to mitigate the challenges being faced by the city’s residents and business community.
