GUJRAT, Dec 4: The locals have been facing a lot of problems in matters related to property tax for the last one year due to the vacant post of the Gujrat Excise and Taxation Officer.

Sources said the authorities had given the additional charge of Gujrat to an additional ETO of Gujranwala with the direction that he should visit the Gujrat office twice a week. However, there were complaints that the officer came to the office late and sometimes only once a week.

Scores of people said the ETO’s vacant post was the main hindrance in disposal of their appeals against inflated tax assessment.

Owners of commercial and private vehicles alleged that a newly appointed inspector in the motor branch was taking advantage of the absence of his immediate boss (ETO) and charging them extra on the token tax but the AETO did not take any action against him. Those seeking new registration numbers for their vehicles also levelled similar charges against the inspector.

The sources revealed that more than 5,000 taxpayers from Jalalpur Jattan, Kharian, Sarai Alamgir and other areas, who had filed appeals for reassessment or exemption from the property tax, had become rolling stones between the offices of their towns and the Gujrat office.

Another source said 3,000 cases of changes in ownership of properties were also pending due to the ETO’s absence.

In the new local government system, the government has delegated some powers of ETOs to AETOs. The district has two AETOs, one of whom is deputed in Gujrat and the other in Kharian.

Residents of Kharian complained that the AETO often remained absent from his office. A source claimed that several complaints had been lodged with the ACE in Mandi Bahaudin against the Kharian AETO and that was why he was not able to give time to his Kharian office and lived in Mandi.