Maintaining that the BJP lacks knowledge over the move to collect User Fee, the ruling BJD on Tuesday staged a demonstration demanding action against saffron party leaders for vandalising the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) office on Monday during the party’s protest against the fee collection.
“Under the AMRUT programme, the Centre has instructed the Urban local Bodies to stick to the reforms guidelines by collecting users’ fees for efficient management of Management of Solid Water (MSW). The fee will be collected as per the guideline of the Centre. But BJP workers are shedding crocodile tears here,” said Bhubaneswar district BJD president Babuli Mishra.
Almost all the party Corporators participated in the rally and warned the BJP against engaging in any hooliganism. “To handle the management of solid waste (MSW), the civic body is spending around Rs 45 crore to Rs 50 crore a year without the Centre’s support. Hence, without people’s participation, the management of the wastes would not be possible,” argued Mishra.
“The civic body has waived the User Fee for the last financial year. It has been decided to collect user fee for the current financial year. Fee collection is one of the mandatory reforms suggested by the Centre. Hence, there is no illegality committed by the civic body in collecting the user fee,” said BJD Corporator Mahamaya Swain.