Infrastructure, Solid Waste Management Cesses Coming

Infrastructure, Solid Waste Management Cesses Coming

The Times of India

Bangalore: People living in Karnataka’s cities should get ready to shell out infrastructure and solid waste management (SWM) cesses from April 1.

While infrastructure cess will be levied on motor vehicle owners for the use of roads, flyovers, underpasses and subways, the SWM cess will be collected from houses, commercial establishments and hotels towards garbage disposal. According to rates notified by the urban development department, the infrastructure cess varies from Rs 50 to Rs 500, depending on the type of vehicles; the solid waste management cess ranges from Rs 10 to Rs 600.

Four years after these cesses were given legal sanction, the state government has notified and gazetted the rates to be collected by city corporations. The much-hyped implementation of these cesses was hanging fire either due to lack of initiative by the authorities or delay in reaching a consensus.

The state legislature had passed a Bill empowering the city corporations to collect a maximum of Rs 500 towards infrastructure cess and Rs 1,000 towards SWM fees.

Officials told The Times of India that the cesses should have been implemented two years ago, but none of the city corporations has done it so far. “Initially, the government asked the corporations to come up with some flexible rates depending on population, number of vehicles, number of households coming under their jurisdictions. No corporation has sent any proposals so far. We will shortly issue circulars to implement the cesses from the next fiscal,’’ they said.

The government has also asked the city corporations to moot their collecting methods. Several channels (self-declaration scheme, insurance agents, etc.) were assessed and authorities found outsourcing the best. City corporations have to obtain a soft copy of vehicle details from the RTO and update the data when cess is paid.

The government has notified that the corporations may entrust the cess collection work to the agency which handles solid waste management. A specified form has been prescribed which has to be filled by motor vehicle owners — name, address, name of ward and locality, class of vehicle, registration number and infrastructure fee.

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT CESS (MONTHLY)

Residential buildings:
Rs 10 for plinth area less than 1,000 sqft; Upto 3,000 sqft Rs 30; more than 3,000 sqft Rs 50.

Commercial buildings:
Plinth area less than 1,000 sqft Rs 50; plinth area within 5,000 sqft Rs 100; exceeding 5,000 sqft Rs 200.

Industrial buildings:
Plinth area not less than 1,000 sqft Rs 100; plinth area within 5,000 sqft Rs 200; exceeding 5,000 sqft Rs 300.

Hotels, kalyana mantaps, nursing homes:
Plinth area not less than 10,000 sqft Rs 300; plinth area within 50,000 sqft Rs 500; exceeding 50,000 sqft Rs 600.