Around 100 cadre of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) raised slogans here on Wednesday against imposition of a service charge for garbage collection.
R. Vijayarajan, Madurai -Town CPI (M) secretary, said that the corporation should not levy fees for garbage collection without holding local body elections. “The corporation should not raise the charges without consent of the public. Why should we pay extra money when the garbage is not collected properly?” he asked.
He raised many questions about the poor functioning of the corporation. He said that the local body administration ignored several petitions that the party and individuals had sent about poor upkeep of wards. He said that the amount collected for birth and death certificate forms should be reduced to ₹10 from ₹100.
He also criticised the corporation for revision of property tax. “The rise is twice the amount the residents had paid. How can we suddenly adapt to this change?” he asked.
A senior official of the corporation said that the service charge on garbage was being levied based on Solid Waste Management bylaws of the Madurai Corporation (2017). “It is a service charge and not a tax. It is levied based on the premises and the type of structure. The charge varies based on the property tax paid,” he added.
He said that 4,400 employees, 350 vehicles and 1,300 bins were stationed across the city to collect garbage. “We spend ₹ 50 lakh a month for maintenance of the plant and dumping yard in Velakkal. There is a scope for improvement of collection though,” he added.
