The Mangaluru City Corporation on Monday resolved to rework the solid waste management cess being levied along with the property tax from 2016-17 after councillors, across party lines, brought out the ‘garbage woes’ being faced by residents of the city.
Councillor Lancelot Pinto pointed out at the council general meeting here that there was no logical connection between the cess and property tax and in many cases the cess has been abnormally higher than the property tax.
At the same time, the new garbage collection system had not been stabilised. Since property tax payment along with cess for 2015-16 has already commenced, the cess could not be reworked for the current financial year, he said.
Another councillor M. Abdul Azeez said that the contractor, Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt., Ltd., has miserably failed to collect garbage from door to door.
Even the ruling Congress members joined the Opposition and said that the company was unable to stabilise operations even after two months of commencing the new collection system.
The discussions even saw some members trouping to the well of the council with placards denouncing the new garbage collection system.
The former Mayor Mahabala Marla and the leader of the Opposition Sudhir Shetty demanded that the corporation start a toll-free number for people to lodge their complaints on garbage collection.
Another councillor Tilakraj urged the corporation to direct the company to deploy at least two vehicles for each ward.
Commissioner Hephsiba Rani Korlapati said that she would direct officials concerned to monitor garbage collection more effectively. Mayor Jacinta Alfred then referred Mr. Pinto’s proposal to the standing committee on taxation, finance and appeals for a suitable decision.
Illegal hoardings
Ms. Alfred also issued a ruling directing corporation officials to bring down all illegal hoardings in the city.
When a corporation official informed the council that about 173 illegal hoardings had been regularised, the members took serious objections to the same and demanded initiation of action against such hoardings.
