SWABI, March 22: A majority of Tehsil Swabi council members have rejected imposition of house tax and demanded that its contract be immediately abolished.

The council session was held here, with Ali Yar Khan Jadoon in the chair, during which members belonging to both the treasury and the opposition spoke on the issue of house tax.

A majority of the members was of the view that if the house tax remained in place it would weaken their position among the people who had returned them to the council with great hopes of getting relief. However, if they were burdened with new taxes, they would turn against them (the councillors).

Most of the members demanded withdrawal of the house tax, saying a majority district people are poverty-stricken, and living from hand to mouth. They are not in a position to this tax.

They said a number of areas in the jurisdiction of the tehsil administration were still awaiting provision of facilities even though they were paying taxes. The people now wanted something in turn for their taxes and were opposed to new levies.

They said about 70 per cent of the area people are peasants who construct huge mud-houses, living along with their animals, but they had been brought into the net of this levy. They stressed that the mud-made rooms be exempted from the house tax.

They contended that the tehsil administration should differentiate between the houses of rural and urban areas and also between commercial and non-commercial areas.

The opposition members also staged a walkout against the Xen of communication and work department, alleging that most of the contracts had been given to the near and dear ones which had badly affected the construction process. They expressed the fear that it might pose a grave threat to the durability of constructions.