BBMP collects 50% of annual garbage tax in just 2 months

So robust was the revenue generation that Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) has collected nearly 50% of its annual target in just 60 days.

Bengaluru: In just the first two months of the new financial year, as much as Rs 350 crore has been collected in the form of the newly introduced "garbage tax". 

So robust was the revenue generation that Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) has collected nearly 50 per cent of its annual target in just 60 days. 

At this pace, authorities will likely exceed the annual projection of Rs 700 crore well before the fiscal year ends. 

Since April 1 this year, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has been collecting the garbage tax as part of the property tax on behalf of BSWML, an offshoot agency managing the city’s solid waste. 

Last month alone, the BBMP earned Rs 230 crore in user fees for solid waste management (SWM) services, as DH reported earlier. 

Overall, the civic body has generated Rs 2,600 crore in property tax revenue in the past two months. 

"Roughly, Rs 350 crore was collected as garbage tax,” a BBMP official confirmed to DH. Compared to the same period last fiscal year, this marks a jump of Rs 1,250 crore in property tax collections. 

With garbage tax expected to become a steady source of revenue, the BSWML has outlined a slew of projects. These include overhauling the door-to-door waste collection and transportation system by deploying new auto-tippers. As per the plan, a single private agency will be tasked with collecting wet, dry, and sanitary waste in most assembly segments — a service estimated to cost Rs 540 crore annually. 

Secondly, the board plans to set up integrated solid waste management facilities in four corners of the city. While the state cabinet has approved the project, the exact cost is yet to be disclosed. 

Thirdly, the BSWML aims to streamline the collection, transport and disposal of construction debris. However, this proposal has raised eyebrows as a single private agency has bagged all five related contracts. Notably, the BSWML has proposed spending a whopping Rs 100 crore in tipping fees, which is a new expenditure for the board. 

Meanwhile, the Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP) has launched a campaign against garbage tax, urging the state government to first conduct the BBMP elections. The party has also demanded that the civic body publish project details and audited accounts. 

"Until these conditions are met, we declare our participation in the #IWontPay campaign. We will not accept or pay arbitrary fees imposed without legitimacy, transparency, or representation," reads the pledge published on the BNP website. 

Recently, BJP leaders met BBMP Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao to demand the rollback of the new SWM user fee, citing hardship to the public and commercial establishments.