Improve service before hiking trash cess, citizens tell Palike

The BBMP’s proposal to hike the garbage cess has come as a shocker to citizens already reeling under demonetisation and increased property tax.

Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs) and citizens’ groups have criticised the Palike’s plan to increase garbage cess to 15% of the property tax and termed it as looting of public money. The existing cess is 10%, collected based on the area where the property is situated.

Citizens’ Action Forum president D S Rajasekhar said that the proposal was unwarranted and a burden on the public. “What have they done with the cess collected earlier? Despite collecting the garbage cess, problems continue in the form of poor garbage collection and uncleared trash,” he said.

The BBMP health standing committee members have approved the proposal by BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad in August this year, requesting for a hike in garbage cess.

Palike sources said that the cess would be effective from the next financial year 2017-18, if the Palike Council approves it at its next meeting.

Zahid H Javali , a resident of HSR Layout, said that the collection of garbage at a few pockets in his layout was erratic. He said, “I feel the Palike should first sort out the waste management issues and then increase the cess. What is the point of collecting cess when quality services are not provided.”

G S Renuka Prasad, president of the Shantinagar RWA, said he would not mind shelling out more cess if the quality of service improves.

Sarfaraz Khan, BBMP joint commissioner for Solid Waste Management, said the cess has been proposed after a gap of eight long years. The proposal would be placed for approval before the Council meeting, expected to be held on Thursday.

Once the proposal is approved, the resolution will be forwarded to the Urban Development Department for final clearance, after which the revised cess can be collected by the civic agency.