Residents’ welfare associations and social activists have opposed the proposal by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to levy charges for solid waste management in the city. The civic body had announced that resident owners and traders would have to pay user charges for solid waste collection from January 1.
V. Rama Rao, secretary, People’s Awareness Association in Nanganallur, said the proposal to collect user charges was undemocratic.
Mr. Rama Rao said the handing over of the conservancy operations in seven zones for a sum of ₹6,000 crore for eight years exceeded the powers of the civic body. Levying tax without opting for the scientific disposal of waste went against the tenets of the Solid Waste Management Act, 2016, he added.
The social activist had earlier highlighted the failure of the civic body to close the Perungudi and Kodungaiyur dump yards where more than 2,000 tonnes of garbage were dumped.
DMK president M.K. Stalin on Wednesday also criticised the Corporation’s decision to tax people at a time when they were struggling to cope with the pandemic. “After collecting property tax, penal tax and electricity tariff, the AIADMK government has imposed more burden on the people,” Mr. Stalin said in a statement.
People had lost their livelihood, small and medium industries were going through an economic crisis, and commercial complexes, theatres and hotels were yet to feel any relief. The Corporation’s decision to collect tax at this juncture would further destabilise their functioning, he added. Mr. Stalin said the GCC should have elicited public opinion before making the decision.
“It is atrocious that the government has used an IAS officer to introduce a new tax. It is not sure whether the move will be only in Chennai or will be extended to other Corporations in the State. On the one hand, the government has announced a Pongal gift and on the other it has introduced new tax,” he said.
He said the Chief Minister should direct the Local Administration Ministry to withdraw the decision. “If he fails to do so, the DMK, when elected to power, will cancel the tax and also order a probe into the alleged misuse of fund by the Greater Chennai Corporation,” he warned.
