Representative image of property tax.
Credit: Pixabay Photo
Bengaluru: After Bescom rejected the BBMP’s request to collect the yet-to-be-introduced fee to collect and dispose of waste from residents and commercial buildings, the civic body wants the fee to be included in property tax.
It also wants to give taxpayers the option of paying the fee in two installments. Officials said the proposal to levy the fees is pending with the state government.
Addressing the industrialists at a programme organised by the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said the civic body has been providing various solid waste management (SWM) related services, but has not collected any service fee so far. He hinted at a plan to collect the fee after the government gives its nod to the proposal.
The BBMP has earlier drafted a fee structure, ranging from a minimum of Rs 30 to Rs 500, depending on the electricity consumption and type of building (commercial or residential).
As a large number of households are beneficiaries of the government’s Gruha Jyothi scheme, the Bescom reportedly rejected the plan, prompting the BBMP to look for alternatives.
During the discussion at FKCCI, the chief commissioner also answered several questions and concerns posed by the members.
To a question on the circular mandating bulk generators to register with the BBMP, Girinath said the civic body wanted to understand who was collecting the waste and where it was getting deposited.
He said such a circular was necessary since he felt the agency supposed to collect waste from houses was also collecting bulk waste and sending it to the landfills and processing plants managed by the civic body. “In future, we will come up with a plan to collect bulk waste for a certain fee,” the commissioner said.
Kannada name boards
Many FKCCI members raised questions about the BBMP’s order to compulsorily display Kannada name boards in every commercial establishment. He told the members not to worry too much about the logo, the trademark, and other details as long as 60% of the name board is in Kannada.
Some also highlighted the poor condition of roads in the Peenya Industrial Area, MEI Road, SP Road, and Mamulpet, which are popular commercial hubs. The BBMP chief promised to provide grants for these roads.