The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike will finally do away with the three per cent garbage cess on property tax collected from bulk generators in the City.
“There is no point in imposing garbage cess when we have asked the bulk generators to dispose their waste. We will withdraw the cess,” BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah told Deccan Herald. The cess had become a bone of contention between the bulk generators and the civic agency. The High Court had questioned the Palike on the rationale of collecting the cess from bulk generators when they have been asked to segregate and dispose their garbage.
Section 103B of Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act provides for collection of the cess. According to the Act, “The corporation may, in addition to property tax levied under Section 103, levy a solid waste management cess at such rate not exceeding one thousand rupees per month as may be prescribed, on every owner or occupier of buildings or lands or both in the city, for the purpose of collection, transportation and disposal of solid waste and different rates may be prescribed in respect of different classes of lands or buildings or in different areas.”
The garbage cess on property tax re-introduced by the BBMP on April 1, 2011, has not turned out to be a revenue grosser for the cash-starved Palike. According to officials, the Palike collected only Rs 26 crore as garbage cess during 2011-12.
Role of a facilitator
Siddaiah said the local body will work with bulk generators in trying to dispose of waste, but in a limited way.“As far as the BBMP is concerned, it will not take responsibility of disposing the waste of the bulk generators. We will, at best, become facilitators by providing them land for disposing the garbage,” he said.
An initial survey conducted by the Palike has identified close to 5,000 bulk generators (more than 10 units of residential and commercial spaces). Siddaiah said the BBMP will identify land for dumping garbage while the bulk generators will have to shoulder the responsibility of transportation of garbage.