If everything goes as planned, the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) will emerge out of the shadow of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), and become an independent body, thanks to the Extended Producers’ Responsibility (EPR) and garbage user fee.
As a first step, the BSWML has obtained GST to carry out business transactions. The company is aiming to earn a revenue of at least ₹1,000 crore annually through EPR and levying user fee for collecting garbage.
While EPR has commenced, the company is expected to levy user fee in the coming days. A senior official told The Hindu, “The BSWML has been working to become financially independent. When the company came up with the idea of introducing EPR, many had opposed it, but through consistent effort, it has become a reality now. At least ₹100 crore can be earned through EPR annually.”
The official said the government wants the company to manage waste with its own money. “This can only be possible by levying a user fee. Waste producers have responsibility to pay a fee for the work that the company is carrying out. There are six slabs of user fee ranging from ₹30 to ₹500. The fee will collected through electricity bills. The company can sustain itself with ₹1,000 crore in annual revenue.”
