December 29, 2006	Friday	Zilhaj 07, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: The Punjab government Thursday formally exempted the residents of Islamabad from the Rs45 toll tax which was charged by the provincial government at Satra Meel Toll Plaza, Assistant Commissioner Dr Ehtasham Anwar told Dawn on Thursday.

Now the residents of Islamabad visiting Murree or Chattar don’t need to pay the toll by showing their national identity cards to prove that they are locals.

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration had, two weeks back, taken notice of collection of toll tax from the residents of Islamabad and wrote a letter to the Punjab government seeking their exemption from the tax.

“I have visited the toll plaza where the contractor assured me that he would not collect tax from the residents of Islamabad,” the official said.

The Punjab Highway Department and the National High Authority (NHA) were directed to exempt the residents of Islamabad from tax or relocate the toll plaza outside the limits of Islamabad.

The ICT administration had already erected a sign board at the toll plaza inscribed with an order that the residents of Islamabad were exempted from the tax.

“The Islamabad Capital Territory administration had observed that the people of Azad Kashmir and Murree Tehsil had already been exempted from the tax but the residents of Islamabad had to pay the tax despite the fact that Satra Meel Toll Plaza was located in the territorial limits of Islamabad,” the assistant commissioner said.

The residents of Islamabad and the locals of Phulgaran, Karot, Chattar and other villages situated close to the toll plaza, had been demanding the exemption for a long time.

They were of the view that the toll plaza was established to collect tax from the tourists visiting Murree and upward areas from other parts of the country but those who had to pass through the toll plaza a number of times daily must be exempted from paying the tax.