Delhi Mayor Mahesh Kumar and Leader of the House Mukesh Goel on Monday voiced their opposition to the Municipal Commissioner’s move to add user charges for solid waste management to House Tax Bills and demanded immediate withdrawal of the “unjustified” and “anti-people” levy. Both the leaders have written to the commissioner over the matter and indicated that legal options were being explored.
Addressing a press conference, the Mayor claimed that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has failed to provide the promised door-to-door garbage collection services although the residents were already burdened with high taxes.
“The Commissioner has added a user charge with property tax, which is completely wrong. We strongly oppose this decision. Such a proposal should have been placed before the House for discussion and approval first,” Kumar said. “These charges, starting from April 1, are not suitable for Delhi and are against public interest. When our party (AAP) was in opposition, we were against this proposal from the beginning,” he said.
The MCD said in a statement that the Government of NCT of Delhi notified Solid Waste Management Bye-laws 2017 vide Gazette Notifications dated 15/01/2018 for the then erstwhile three Corporations. As per the said Bye-laws a user fee is to be collected for providing services for garbage collection, transportation and disposal of solid waste. The fee was same for all the three erstwhile Corporations. The user fee as notified is being enforced. “The implementation of SWM Rules, 2016 is being monitored by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in WP(C) No 13029/1985 in the matter of “MC Mehta vs UOI & Ors”, it said.
According to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, residential units are charged monthly based on the property area — `50 for properties up to 50 square metres, `100 for 51-200 square metres and `200 for dwelling units over 200 square metres.
Street vendors are charged `100 per month for solid waste management, while commercial establishments such as dhabas, sweet shops, and coffee houses are charged `500 monthly. Guest houses, dharmshalas and hotels are charged `2,000 per month, while restaurants with seating for up to 50 people are levied `2,000, and those with more seating capability are charged `3,000.
Similarly, charges also apply to hostels, offices, clinics, small industries, and other categories as specified in the schedule.
The Mayor also said, “People are paying private garbage collectors while the MCD is now charging user fees without delivering services. This is unacceptable.” Echoing similar sentiments, Leader of the House Goel said the move has triggered panic among residents, with many complaining about the sudden addition of charges in the online property tax payment system. “The Department of Environment Management Services (DEMS) and House Tax Department have acted without informing the MCD House or the public. This is unethical and possibly illegal,” he said.
Goel also questioned the timing of the decision, saying it was being implemented at the far end of the mayor’s term, “bypassing” the Budget discussions held before February 15. “No such proposal was passed during the Budget session. So how was it introduced?” he posed. Both leaders claimed the MCD was unable to implement the Central government’s 2016 solid waste management policy, citing the poor state of garbage collection in the city. “Eighty to 85 per cent of households still don’t get door-to-door (garbage) collection service. Concessionaires have dumped garbage in colonies, and the public continues to suffer,” Goel said.
They also warned that the move by the municipal commissioner could backfire and negatively impact the civic body’s tax collection. “People are already frustrated with inflation and rising costs. Now they are being forced to pay for a service that doesn’t exist,” the leader of the MCD House said.
Goel also said, "The Mayor has written to the commissioner clearly stating that introducing such a proposal during the last days of his tenure is unjustified. This user charge must be withdrawn immediately." "First, fix the infrastructure and then talk about charges. Right now, the MCD is failing to deliver on its promises but still wants to impose new fees. That's simply unfair," he added.
